Memory Trap
by roo17
Summary: An old enemy of the Straw Hats has returned to take revenge. But before she can do that, she first attacks their guest; the Surgeon of Death. (Memory!fic, Straw Hats watch Law's past.)
1. Return of an Enemy

Memory Trap  
Chapter One: Return of an Enemy

* * *

_Summary: An old enemy of the Straw Hats has returned to take revenge. But before she can do that, she first attacks their guest; the Surgeon of Death. (Memory!fic, Straw Hats watch Law's past.)_

_Plot: Slight AU, some ooc, swearing, blood, bad writing. Okay, so here's the plot for this story. READ BEFORE YOU START STORY. This is taking place after the Breed (anime filler) incident, and this is basically a spinoff of all the memory!fics about the Straw Hats watching their own memories. Plot: Honebee, the enemy, attacked the Straw Hats just after they left Fishman Island; forcing them watch each other's darkest memories. Honbee's devil fruit allows her to gain strength/power after watching and __processing(__or __converting__) people's worst memories._

_After the Straw Hats exited their memories, they found her and defeated her before she could process/convert their memories; meaning she didn't get any new strength/power. And since her devil fruit allows her to only enter a person's memories once, she couldn't go through their memories again. Before they left her, she swore her revenge. This is her attempting to get revenge._

_Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. DX Nor do I own the cover picture._

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

_Law screamed, his mouth open wide and his eyes clenched shut as his back arched off the bed he'd been sleeping on. A small, pale hand rested on his sweating forehead, and owner of the hand gave a sadistic grin as the surgeon's screams echoed throughout the ship. The sound was music to her ears._

_The sound of heavy, frantic footsteps approaching had the stranger turning towards the door of the room. The entire Straw Hat crew was in the room now, and her eyes hardened in hatred at seeing their surprised faces once again. However, she hadn't come for them. No, this time, she had come for their guest; the Surgeon of Death. She could feel his bad memories radiating off him, and she knew with such dark memories she would get __much__ stronger after processing them._

_Before the crew could have the chance to attack their old enemy, she raised her free hand and gave a maniacal smile. She focused on each of their faces. Then, she spoke. "Memory Trap."_

_Their eyes widened before the room they stood in was consumed in darkness, and the stranger disappeared before their very eyes. "Shit, not this again!"_

_"What the hell does she plan on doing? She can't come after our memories again, right?"_

_"No, her devil fruit allows her to only peek into a person's memories once."_

_"So then who's memories are we being forced to watch now?!"_

_"Wait a minute…"_

_"Don't tell me…!"_

_"Hehe!" The stranger's voice echoed through the darkness, and all the members grabbed at their weapons on instinct despite the fact they could no longer see or attack her. "I have to say, I've been dying to get my revenge on you," she said. "After you defeated me last time, I thought it would take years to become as strong as all of you. However," and they didn't fail the miss the sadism in her voice. "I've finally come across someone who's memories are just as bad as yours. With Trafalgar's memories, I'll finally…be able to surpass you."_

_She laughed once more, and the crew could only watch as the darkness began to swirl and twist with light, until finally they were staring at a clear image._

_Before them stood Trafalgar Law, at the age of ten, smiling happily._

* * *

\- An hour earlier -

"How can you be so cruel?!" Nami yelled, shoving the surgeon roughly in the shoulder. They had come across a group of small ship full of dying passengers – ranging from all ages; from seventy to newborn infants – a little while ago. With a quick medical eye, it was easy to see they'd all been poisoned and that it was too late to administer an antidote. The scene had Chopper almost crying, wanting nothing more than to try and help them anyway. Law, on the other hand, had simply looked at them and turned away; telling the Straw Hats to continue on sailing. When Chopper asked him how he could turn his back on the sick and dying, Law coldly replied, _"They are of no concern to me. They only hinder our plans at the moment." _It was his answer and the lack of emotion in it that drove Nami over the edge, for she knew how Chopper felt when he saw someone he couldn't cure and save.

The pirate captain did not react or respond to the navigator's question, though he did send her a dark glare when he turned around to face her. "Do not touch me," he ordered, his voice low and threatening. Sanji, who was by Nami's side, glared furiously at the surgeon before him.

"Don't talk to Nami-san that way, you bas–" He quickly cut himself off when he saw the look Law was giving him. He knew that look; Law didn't like to be touched, and he didn't like to be touched for a very good _reason_. Sanji could see that, so he cut off his insult but still held his glare.

Law walked away, nodachi in hand, and headed for the room they gave him to sleep in for some privacy. The crew watched him leave, and they gathered together on the deck near the mast. "I don't like this," Nami started, her eyes still glaring in the direction the surgeon had left. "How can he be so heartless? How is a bunch of sick people 'of no concern' to him? He's a surgeon, isn't he?"

"His mind is solely focused on the plan to bring down Kaido," Usopp stated, a small frown tugging at his lips. "Nothing else really seems to matter to him at the moment."

Chopper gave a small sniffle and wiped away the leftover tears on his fur. "He only helped the children on Punk Hazard because we said we wouldn't help him in the alliance if he didn't help us save them."

"And the only reason he went with Chopper and Luffy to Breed's ship was to retrieve Caesar," Franky added in. "He didn't seem to care at all about those lapins being controlled."

"Maybe this is more personal than we think it is," Zoro commented, and all eyes fell on him. "I mean, think about it. He seems pretty damned determined to bring Doflamingo down, doesn't he?"

"If we were to focus on just that part of the plan, I would agree," Robin replied. "Everything he has planned with great detail has to do with Doflamingo."

"We know almost nothing about him," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. "I know that he doesn't like bread, pickled plum, or being touched. Anything else, it's a complete mystery."

"All we know is that he fought alongside Luffy-san in Sabaody and saved Luffy-san's life after Marineford."

"In more ways than one*," Zoro commented, earning silent nods from the crew.

"We can trust him," Luffy finally said, his lips pulled into a grin. The crew let out a collective groan, knowing just how Luffy's mind worked. Even though they had indeed gotten stronger in the past two years, some of the members felt uneasy around the Surgeon of Death; not fully trusting him and keeping their guards up around him despite the fact they were in an 'alliance'. "Anyway, Sanji! Food!"

"I'll start making dinner," Sanji said, making his way toward the kitchen. He glanced up at the darkening sky, taking note of how beautifully the sunset colors mixed together. Normally he would have started dinner about an hour ago, but he'd found himself enjoying the weather too much. Not too mention everyone was called to the deck when they came across the ship of sick passengers.

On his way to the kitchen, Sanji couldn't help but think about Law. How _could_ the male just simply brush off so many sick people without a care? Hell, there had been newly born _infants_ on that ship! Though, on closer inspection, it seemed most of them had passed on already; their dying mothers holding them close and sobbing for their child to open their eyes. The sight broke his heart, and he could only imagine how Chopper felt observing the scene.

But what disturbed the cook even more was that Law hadn't even flinched at the sight of it all. Like he'd seen far worse in his life. Sanji didn't know what could be much worse, honestly. The sight of a mother grieving over the loss of her baby was something tragic to see.

And his mind couldn't help but go back to Nami's question.

_"How can you be so cruel?!"_

* * *

Screaming. That was what woke him up. He was on his feet with his hand on Wado in an instant, noticing everyone else who'd been on deck was also suddenly alert. "What was–" Usopp was cut off when another scream sounded.

"Toaro!" Luffy yelled. And everyone was suddenly on their feet running as fast as they could, hoping everything was alright with the surgeon. They met up with Sanji and Franky on the way, and they all burst into the room at the same time. They all froze when they were met with the sight before them.

Law was on the bed screaming, his back arched up in pain, with someone standing beside him. Zoro instantly recognized the person. It was the same girl who had attacked them shortly after they left Fishman Island. Her eyes hardened and it wasn't easy to miss the pure hatred that glowed in her eyes. He didn't need to be a genius to know why she was back on their ship.

_Revenge_.

But she was ready for them, and she raised her hand before any of them even had the chance to take a step forward. "Memory trap." Those two words, last time, had brought them so much unwanted pain; dredging up their worst memories and forcing everyone to watch them. It had taken weeks for the crew to go back to normal; some having nightmares, others wanting privacy after their darkest secrets and feelings were brought up for everyone to see.

Luffy had been a mix of both. Being forced to watch his brother's death once more had been brutally hard. Robin, too, refused to sleep for a while; saying that the sounds of the buster call and the sight of an island going up in flames would haunt her every time she closed her eyes. But in the end, they helped each other through it. If anything, they ended up even stronger after that; their bond tighter than it ever was.

But this…

This was completely uncalled for.

They didn't _know_ Trafalgar. They weren't _nakamas_, despite the fact Luffy insisted they were. They didn't share a familial bond with the surgeon at all, he was practically a stranger to them. Seeing his memories, viewing the worst times in his life… It just wasn't _right_. It was more than just an invasion of privacy.

The room around them turned to black, and Zoro's hand was still on Wado despite the fact he knew he could not attack Honbee anymore now that they were in Law's memories. "Shit, not this again!" He cast a glance over at Sanji who glared into the darkness.

"What the hell does she plan on doing? She can't come after our memories again, right?" That time it was Franky, and the cyborg seemed peeved at the fact they were going through another person's memories yet again.

"No, her devil fruit power allows her to only peek into a person's memories once," Robin answered, though she too was on guard; eyes hard and piercing.

"So then who's memories are we being forced to watch now?!" Usopp didn't sound happy either; hell, none of them were. Memories were apart of people, they were _private_ unless they decided to share selected ones with you.

"Wait a minute…" Brook stopped, his jaw slowly dropping. The others caught on quickly.

"Don't tell me…!"

"Hehe!" Honbee's voice echoed around them, and just the sound of her little giggle made Zoro want to strangle her. She had put his nakama through so much last time; he would not show her any mercy if he came face to face with her once again. The crew tensed at the voice, and several members bared their teeth in slight disgust. "I have to say, I've been dying to get my revenge on you. After you defeated me last time, I thought it would take years to become as strong as all of you."

Using peoples worst memories as a way of getting stronger, it was despicable. But apparently this girl had no problem doing it, not having a single care how much pain she brought to others in the process. "However, I've finally come across someone who's memories are just as bad as yours. With Trafalgar's memories, I'll finally…be able to surpass you."

Zoro grit his teeth. This was wrong. Very _wrong_. They shouldn't have to go through this again, they shouldn't have to see–

Honbee laughed again, and the darkness began to swirl and twist with a bright light. Zoro put up a hand, the light becoming too bright before, finally, it dimmed. Pulling his hand away, the swordsman looked around. The crew all looked straight ahead, and a few quietly gasped.

There, before them, stood ten-year-old Trafalgar Law; smiling happily as walked through his home city.

* * *

_*will be explained in a later chapter._

_A/N: I always see memory!fics including the Straw Hats, and never anyone else with occasional exception of Ace. So I decided to change that. Here's Law's past! Guys, I'll probably need your opinions and stuff on some things, seeing as I suck writing the Straw Hats. So if they sound too ooc in some parts __please let me know and I'll try to fix it__._

_And do you guys think this should be a LawLu story? Lemme know, please! :D_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	2. Lamy's Ice Cream

Memory Trap  
Chapter Two: Lamy's Ice Cream

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_A/N: Thanks for your reviews! So far it's pretty tied on whether or not it'll be a LawLu story. (Take note that if it does become a LawLu thing, the actual pairing/scenes won't come until after all the memories are finished). Though, thinking about it, it may just turn out to be a no-pairing story. We'll see. And my friend – the one who guilt-tripped me into uploading this – saw that I put "Slight AU" and noticed how Law doesn't like to be touched, so he wants me to make it a small rape!fic. But because he's not the only one reading this, I am going to ask you guys if you want that to happen or not. It wouldn't bother me either way. Just let me know before chapter three/four, if possible. And who it should be who "rapes" Law. (My friend says it should be either Doffy or World Government soldiers when Law's trying to escape Frevance… Or both.) So yeah. Let me know. Please._

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

The crew blinked at the little person before them, some even rubbing their eyes to make sure they were, in fact, looking at a young Trafalgar Law. He still wore his fluffy, spotted hat, and the darkness under his eyes was still there though it was nowhere near as prominent as it was nowadays. "He's smiling," Nami commented. She hadn't seen the surgeon smile once. Smirk, yes, but a smile? No way. He also wore a long-sleeved, button-up shirt and spotted black shorts.

"I don't like this," Zoro muttered darkly.

"I have to agree," Robin answered. "It was different when it was just us. We do not know Law very well, nor does he intend to join our crew. Invading his memories like this…"

"I never thought Honbee would come after us again." The little reindeer's eyes landed on Law once more. "She said…that Law's memories were as bad as ours." He remembered how each person, when their worst memories were played, reacted, and how the whole crew seemed to avoid each other for a while. Some of the memories he witnessed… He wished he could forget them.

Like the memory of Marineford, how he witnessed so many people die in agonizing ways. How Ace gave his life for the sake of Luffy, how horrible of a death he suffered to make sure his younger brother would live.

How Robin's entire island was destroyed, going up in flames as she screamed for her mother. How she had rowed away from Ohara, watching her home burn while trying to laugh like Saul taught her to.

How Brook sang with his crew mates one last time; playing until he was down to a quartet, then a trio, and then a solo. How painful it was to know that he failed at protecting his crew and yet he was still allowed to live after they all passed away.

Memories that personal, so full of feeling, they were haunting. They weren't meant to be seen, they were better left in the past. And if Law's memories were anything like those… "I…I don't want to see them!"

"None of us do, Chopper," Nami softly answered, kneeling down next to the doctor and placing a gentle hand on his back. "But we don't have much of a choice right now." The little doctor gave a nod, biting his lip and focusing his attention on the memory they were in.

The watched with slight curiosity as the small boy began to walk down the street, and they looked at the city he lived in. Robin took note of how all the buildings were white and beautiful looking. It looked familiar to her, like she'd seen photos of it before long ago. Law walked over to small store that had tables and an awning outside and entered it, heading to the counter where an middle-aged woman stood wearing an apron. "Well, good morning, Law."

"Good morning, Ms. Tizako," he answered.

"What can I get for you today?"

"Lamy's favorite," the small boy answered, passing her enough money to cover whatever it was he was buying. Sanji looked over the place. It had several tables set up inside and while it felt quite homely, it also held an air of nobility in a way. This was a very rich city, but at the same time it felt comforting and relaxing. It was a good combination, he found, and hoped to maybe visit the city if they ever came across it.

"Who's Lamy?" Usopp asked, earning several shrugs from the others.

"Maybe it's friend of his," Franky answered. "Either way, I guess we're going to find out eventually." When the woman came back to the counter, she held a single scoop of ice cream on a cone.

"There you go. Tell Lamy I said hello, okay?" Law gave a nod as he took the ice cream from her and hurried out of the building, being careful not to drop the sugary desert. While the Straw Hats kept up, they couldn't help but stare in awe at the city's beauty and architecture.

"This really is a beautiful place," Chopper said, his eyes wide as they took in all the details.

"That's an understatement." The city was magical looking; the white of buildings almost whiter than fresh snow. They passed by a section where some grass and trees grew, and Brook couldn't help but stare at the sight.

"The trees and grass are also white," he noted.

"I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale or something," Luffy smiled, remembering how Makino would sneak over to Dadan's and read them a story or two of magical places and creatures. He almost expected to see elves or unicorns run by.

They followed Law until they came across a large building within a gated area. On the front, a sign read HOSPITAL. The small child ran in without a moment's hesitation, and ran all the way up to the top floor. The crew couldn't help but notice that quite a few of the room had been occupied, and they quietly wondered why. Law opened one of the doors and barged in, his smile growing as his eyes scanned the room for a certain someone.

"Lamy, here's your ice…" Law's voice trailed off, his eyes landing on a little girl lying in a bed. Parts of her cheeks were as white as the trees and buildings were outside. A look of pain was set on her young face. The ice cream fell from Law's hand as tears started to prick at his eyes. The two adults who stood by the girl's bedside noticed Law standing there. The woman with light-colored hair was holding the girl's hand and motioned for Law to come over, but the boy seemed frozen where he stood.

"What's wrong with her face?" Usopp quietly asked. "It almost looks like white bruises." And, finally, Robin remembered just where she had seen photos of a city made of white.

"Oh no," she whispered quietly, horror apparent in her eyes. The crew gave her worried looks. "This is the city Frevance…!"

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head to the side. "What's Frevance?"

"They used to call it the city of white," she answered.

"So then what's on the girl's face?"

"It's a sickness called Amber Lead Disease," she answered again. "It's incurable."

"What?" Their eyes went back to the girl on the bed.

"Years ago, a certain type of lead was discovered beneath the kingdom of Frevance. It was called Amber Lead. It was determined that the mineral was the source of the beautiful nature of the land. Using the Amber Lead, the citizens made utensils, paints, sweets, makeup, and even weapons. People from across the world flocked to purchase the high-quality goods, and the mineral birthed Frevance bottomless wealth."

"Wow, so all that white outside is from the Amber Lead, huh?"

"It's beautiful. I can see why so many people wanted to buy the mineral and tools," Franky commented. It wasn't everyday you saw something so magical, and in such large quantities, no less.

"So what happened? What's this Amber Lead Disease?"

"About a hundred years before the industry began, the World Government studied the geology of the region and determined the true nature of the mineral. It's poison. It has little effect on anyone or anything while it remains underground. But once it's been dug and handled, it begins to eat away at the human body."

"No way," Nami breathed, eyes wide with disbelief. "So then…"

"Yes," Robin nodded, grimly. "Blinded by the limitless fortune at their fingertips, the Government and the Royal Family kept the truth a secret. The people of Frevance continued to mine the mineral, unwary of it's deadly nature."

"That's the World Government and Celestial Dragons for you," Sanji grit out. How could they be so cruel as to let innocent humans suffer for something as worthless as money?

"The thing is, the poison is present in trace amounts. For example, if a single child was to have the lead begin to build up in his body, the children of that child would have shortened life spans. Those children would grow up and have their own children, whose life spans would be even further shortened. Until eventually a generation, much like Law's, would die before they could even become of age. By the time the people of Frevance learned of the toxicity of Amber Lead, it was far too late. Senior citizens and children alike…as a result of the offset in life spans, every generation broke out in illness around the same time. Their skin and hair would turn white, and their entire bodies would begin to ache."

"That's horrible…" Chopper couldn't imagine such a thing happening, to have so many sick people to look after and not have a single cure. The thought was almost too much. And all because the Royal Family wanted money? "Is that why…Law could dismiss those people on the ship so easily? Because he had to witness something like this?"

"It's a possibility," Zoro answered, his eyes still on Law. The young child had finally moved from his spot and was now standing with the two adults. The older male, they noticed, had dark blue hair exactly like Law. It wasn't hard to tell that it was the surgeon's father.

"L-Lamy?" Law looked up at the two adults with questioning eyes. "You're going to save her. Right, father?"

"I'm going to try my hardest, Law," the man replied, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"B-Brother…?" Law attention immediately went to the small girl on the bed, and he grabbed her hand tightly as her eyes slowly began to open.

"It's me, Lamy," he instantly said, pulling a small smile onto his face. He didn't want his sister to see just how worried he was for her. He knew, eventually, the Amber Lead disease would kick in and begin to take affect on his sister. But he hadn't imagined it to happen so soon. He thought of something to say that could possibly make her smile. "I'm sorry, I dropped your ice cream. Do you want me to get you another one?"

"No, that's fine," she answered, giving a small smile as well. "I'm just glad you're here."

"I'll always be by your side." Law squeezed her hand. "I'll always be there for you." The memory began to fade and twist, until it dissipated into a thin mist.

"I don't want to see this," Chopper whispered. "I don't want to see this."

"Just when you thought the Celestial Dragons couldn't get any worse." Franky felt like punching one of them right now, feeling a little jealous that Luffy had the chance to do so once.

"But if everyone began to show symptoms at the same time, and the disease is indeed incurable, how did Law-san get rid of it?"

"Maybe he found a cure?"

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Zoro sent a glance over to Robin, noticing how quiet she had gotten. Her eyes were hard and her brow was pinched in the slightest. She knew something, knew what was about to happen.

And whatever it was, it was not going to be pretty.

* * *

_A/N: So yeah. I thought it would be considered a bad memory when Law discovered that his little sister was starting to fall victim to the disease. And thought it would help if Law made a promise to his sister of how he'll always be there for her. Did I do okay? I hope so. The Straw Hats are always kind of hard to write, especially Franky and Brook. Plus writing a memory fic is a liiitle harder than I thought it would be. If I wrote someone wrong, let me know please! DX_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	3. Fall of the White City

Memory Trap  
Chapter Three: Fall of the White City

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_A/N: So I went through the whole story in my head and, sorry guys, but I have come to the conclusion that this should stay as a no-pairing story. Because it's going to continue on after the memories all through Dressrosa arc. It seemed better as a no-pairing. But I'll add tiny hints of LawLu, though you could interpret them as friendship if you want. :] And as for the rape, I'm still contemplating over it. But it might happen. Don't worry, I'll put up a tag and a warning on the chapter so you can skip if it happens. (And if it does, it'll be done by Doffy. That much I know has been settled.)_

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

When the next memory came into sight, the Straw Hats were surrounded by chaos. There was smoke in the air and several buildings were up in flames. People held their children close with packs on their backs, looking terribly frightened as they ran through the streets. The City of White was no longer the beautiful place they had just seen moments ago. All the white was smudged with dirt, blood, and ash. "What the… What happened?"

Zoro threw Robin a glance and asked, "What's happening right now?"

"This is the fall of Frevance," she quietly spoke.

"Fall?" Usopp asked.

"The neighboring countries of Frevance began to think that Amber Lead Disease was an epidemic and they closed off every passage out of the country. It was put under quarantine. Some of the citizens of the city tried to find safety in other countries, but they were treated like monsters. They were feared and misunderstood, and they were shot and killed on sight in fear of the disease. But Frevance didn't stay quiet, and took up weapons to fight back. A war broke out, but they were shown no mercy from the other countries." Her eyes ran over the chaos around them with sadness. "This must be them trying to survive the war."

"But…" Chopper furrowed his brow in confusion. "It wasn't contagious. The World Government knew this, right? So why didn't they tell the other countries that?"

"The pain of an illness isn't something others can feel," Brook said, looking away from the memory as a crying woman held her sickly and unmoving child tightly to her chest.

Sanji grit his teeth. "They probably wanted the whole thing to be over with. Why try to stop a war when they know no one will listen?"

"Exactly. Everyone already believed it was contagious, they wouldn't have taken any chances even if the World Government declared it contained."

"Look, there's Law." All eyes fell onto the small boy. He didn't look any older from the last memory so they knew hardly any time had passed. He wore another button-up shirt with his spotted hats and black shorts. They didn't fail to notice the white bruises on his arms. Before him was a nun and group of scared children. They all looked to be around Law's age and they all wore the same outfit as him. The crew figured they were students.

Every single one of them had white bruises on their body.

"Law, you too! Come with us! The soldiers said they'd let just the children escape!" She had tears of relief in her eyes. There was no doubt she'd been worried for the children put under her care.

But Law shook his head. "Sister, my sister's about to die. I can't just leave now."

"Oh, Lamy, is… That's right. We'll just have you leave on the next evacuation ship then. It'll come again." Law gave a nod, though the crew could see worry in his eyes.

"Law! You're not coming? Let's go together!" one of the students behind the nun yelled.

"You can have them save Lamy afterwards," another student shouted.

"My daddy and mommy died! But they told me to live on, so that's what I'm gonna do!" another student cried, his small body trembling as tears ran down his cheeks.

Nami's heart throbbed at the scene, and she could feel a few tears begin to pool in her eyes. Usopp's eyes teared up too, and they couldn't help but feel sorry for the children who had to experience so much pain and witness such horrible acts at such a young age. But there they stood, strong and willing to live. They were glad the soldiers had some mercy at least.

The nun kneeled down in front of Law and put a hand around the back of his neck, giving a smile at the small boy. "See, Law? There is no such thing as despair in this world. A merciful hand will always reach out."

Robin stared at the nun with mild surprise. While she was wrong about there being no despair in the world – because there _was_, unfortunately – she had been right about the last part. _A merciful hand will always reach out_. For Robin, for all of the members, that merciful hand had been Luffy. He took them in without any problems, he beat away their fears and darkness until all that was left in their world was nothing but bright sunshine.

Luffy was their savior, their bright sun.

Law gave a nod and watched as the nun ushered the children away. He wasted no time in going back to the hospital where his sister was. As he ran into the hospital, he noticed a line of people waiting at the gate; all with injuries or holding someone with Amber Lead Disease that wasn't moving. "Doctor! Help us!"

"Doctor!" Chopper ran over to several of the people who were wounded. Upon quick inspection, he noticed they were all bullet wounds.

"Someone's shooting these people…!"

"That's what happens in war," Zoro said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"But these people don't look like they were trying to fight–"

"A lot of innocent people get caught up in war," the cyborg stated. As harsh was it sounded, it was true. Too many casualties happened simply because someone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But to some people, there were no innocents in war. Civilians were still seen as potential soldiers, and thus labeled a threat.

Luffy couldn't help but be reminded of Marineford, remembering how many people had fallen at his side while trying to escort and protect him. He wished he could forget those memories, but it was impossible. There were just some things you couldn't forget no matter how hard you tried.

Law's eyes froze on all the wounded. It looked like he wanted to go over and help them but something else was more important to him at the moment. He focused back on running for the top floor. As he passed by his father's work room, he slowed down his pace to overhear the conversation the adult was having. He peeked into the room to see his father standing near a Den Den Mushi and his mother writing something down in a notebook

"_I'm sorry. There's simply nothing we can do._"

"We don't have enough doctors here! Or blood for transfusions! Anything! There must be a way to eliminate Amber Lead from the body! The disease itself isn't even contagious! Why won't the government report this fact?!"

"They're trying so hard to save everyone," Chopper murmured. He looked around the room. He had no doubt it was once perfectly organized. But now open books were scattered everywhere, and several tubes of varying liquids took up all the tables. Paperwork with panicked and desperate handwriting covered the floors and he could see how many attempts the two doctors had made in trying to cure Amber Lead Disease. The woman gave a frustrated hiss as she slammed the book shut and walked over to another table, looking for a piece of paperwork that would assist her in looking for a cure.

Both had white bruises on their faces.

Law pushed away from the room and continued down the hall until he came to the room he was looking for. Quietly opening and closing the door, he hurried over to his sister's side. Her breathing was heavy and a thin layer of sweat covered her brow. She gave a pained groan, and Law instantly reached out and held her hand. "Brother…my body hurts… It's becoming white…"

"Hang in there just a little longer," Law urged, trying to sound strong for his little sister. He gave her a smile and the crew had a hard time telling if it was forced or not. "Dad's the best doctor in the country! I just know he'll make you better!"

Lamy tried to give a small smile back and looked over at her brother. "Why is it so noisy outside?"

"Oh… That's a festival! You know Frevance is always lively," Law lied.

"Why did he lie?" Luffy asked, looking over at Usopp.

"He didn't want to frighten his sister," the long-nosed male replied. "In her sickened state, it would have only caused her more pain and stress. It was his way of trying to protect her from the horrors happening outside."

"Did mother or father give you a shot of morphine yet?" When the small girl shook his head, Law headed over to the nightstand beside the bed. Opening the first drawer, he pulled out a small bottle of morphine and a syringe. Filling it to the right dosage, he made sure there were no air bubbles before giving it to his sister. "There, that should help with the pain a little."

"Thanks, big brother," Lamy managed, her smile strengthening a little. "You always take such good care of me."

"That's what older siblings do," he smiled back, running his hand through her hair as he gave her hand a tight squeeze. "We look after our little siblings."

"You're the best," she mumbled, giving a yawn.

"Get some sleep," he said. "I'll be back when you wake up." The crew watched in silence as the little girl's eyes fluttered close and Law's smile slowly fell from his face. He quietly backed out of the room, closing the door as gently as he could. As he exited the room, he saw his mother and father walking briskly down the long hall; their arms filled with bags of what Chopper figured were bandages and disinfectants. Law decided to follow them in hopes of being able to help them out.

He followed them downstairs and to the gate where they were met by all the wounded civilians. They began treating the more heavily wounded first, and Law finally approached his parents. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Law!" His mother was surprised to see him there. "What are you doing here? It's not safe!"

"I want to help," he said. "I know how to dress wounds, you and father showed me how."

"Law," his father said. "I want you to go back inside and stay with Lamy."

"She's asleep. I gave her some morphine already, too."

"Law, please," his mother said. "It's not safe for you to be in here right now. I want you to go inside, okay?" The crew watched as Law silently nodded. It was obvious he didn't want to go back inside, that he wanted to stay and be of some help because he cared for the people around him who were wounded. But the look the woman was giving him left no room for arguments. He turned and began to head back inside. It was when he entered the building did he hear it. Gunshots.

The crew and Law both turned on their heels when the sound reached their ears. "No way," Usopp breathed, his eyes wide.

"Did they just…?" Brook was hoping that if they were to go outside, he wouldn't see what he thought they would. That hopefully it was one of the civilians that pulled out a gun and took a few shots at soldiers. But when Law ran back out of the hospital, he was horrified to see the patients his parents had been treating moments ago were now lying on the ground; blood seeping from freshly made bullet wounds. For a moment, Law couldn't move; his eyes frozen on the lifeless bodies. But then he snapped from his stupor and ran down the stairs.

"Mother, father…" The crew picked up the worry in the boy's voice. The crew themselves felt anxious, hoping Law's parents would make it out alive. His parents weren't there. Looking off to the side, he saw a soldier turn the corner on the street, following something white. He quickly followed after him. As he turned the corner though, he was met with a heart stopping sight.

His parents turned to see if the soldier was still behind them. He was, and he aimed his gun right at them.

Before Law could even blink, the gun was fired several times.

Nami gave a horrified gasp, bringing her mouth to her hand as Sanji quietly comforted her. It was exactly how her mother had died, shot in the chest right before her eyes. The crew sent her worried glances, silently hoping she would be okay. They knew how traumatizing it for her see people get shot. The sound of a gun going off still had her flinching most times, and none of them could blame her.

Zoro watched on, face emotionless. But even he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow. Those two had been of the few people who had never lost hope in finding a cure, doing everything in their power to try and save a country from being massacred.

Maybe they would have found a cure if they had been given more time. Maybe not. They would never know.

Law's eyes filled with tears, and another memory swirled in and mixed with the one they were watching.

_Law sat at a desk; his father sitting beside him with a smile and pointing to a photograph in a book. "This particular surgery utilizes this blood vessel."_

_"Oh, I see," Law said, scribbling down some notes. In the back, Lamy and her mother waited for Law to finish his studies._

_"Brother, let's go to the festival!"_

_"Just for thirty minutes, okay? We have a patient in right now," her mother said, giving a smile at her daughter's eagerness. When Law was done with his studies, he turned in his seat to look at his sister and mother. "Law, let's go to the festival," his mother smiled softly, reaching out her hand for him to take. He gave a smile and nodded, grabbing it._

The memory faded away and they were left to stare at the two dead bodies on the ground. The soldier took out a mini-transponder snail as he walked over the bodies without a care. "Two infected, exterminated."

_Exterminated_.

As if they had been nothing more than pesky insects.

Law trembled as tears poured from his eyes. "_MOTHER! FATHER!_" He ran to them, falling to his knees as he pressed a hand to their wounds. "Wake up! _Wake up!_" But he knew it. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it.

His parents were dead.

"No, no, no," he repeated, reaching up to feel for any vital signs. He was met with none. His trembling hands left their throats and instead reached for their hands, holding them tightly despite the fact his hands were covered in their blood.

"This is messed up," Sanji grit, still holding Nami as she quietly trembled. Franky and Brook remained quiet, though they held grim expressions. Luffy's hat covered his eyes, but everyone could see how tightly his fists were clenched.

The sound of screaming reached their ears. It was children. The sound of gunfire accompanied the screams, and several of the crew members felt their heart drop. "Y-You don't think…? I mean, they wouldn't kill children, right…? Didn't that nun say they were evacuating the children?"

Law gave one last look at his parents before he forcefully pushed himself to his feet, running towards the sound of the screams. He gave a quiet sob as he tripped over one of the dead patients who had been at the hospital earlier. The crew recognized the person as Ms. Tizako, the woman who worked at the ice cream shop.

When Law rounded the corner and looked up, he felt himself freeze. As the crew looked at what he was looking at, they gave horrified gasps.

The nun and all the students that'd been with her…were dead.

"T-This… can't be right," Usopp whispered, his eyes wide. He felt himself grow sick at the sight, and he had to look away before he threw up his lunch.

"This is wrong," Brook whispered. Law's trembling legs slowly carried him through the crowd of bodies, and he stopped before the lifeless form of the nun from earlier. He fell to his knees as more tears poured from his eyes.

_"See, Law? There is no such thing as despair in this world. A merciful hand…"_

"_SISTEEEEER!_"

_"…will always reach out._"

Beside the nun's hand was her cross. The children surrounding Law all held terrified expressions as they laid in a pool of their own blood.

_"Let's go together!"_

_"I will live on!"_

Nami buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. "I don't want to see this," she whispered. Usopp closed his eyes and wiped away the tears on his cheeks. Chopper sobbed beside the sniper, holding the male's pants tightly as he, too, closed his eyes. Even Robin had to look away. While Ohara had indeed been buster called, she had not witnessed anyone's death except Saul and the Professor. Here, though, Law had grown up with these students. He had known each of their names and seemed rather close with the nun. To see their bodies…must have been traumatizing and haunting.

Still, they had been just children. How could you take the life of so many children and not feel single a shred of guilt?

Law continued to cry, not even bothering to wipe away his tears. "Mother, father," he whispered. "Sister…" His eyes suddenly widened. "Sister," he repeated. "Lamy…!" He quickly got to his feet, running around all the bodies of the students and making sure not to trip on any of them. He looked down and saw one child had tried to duck when being shot at. Her eye was missing, the bullet piercing it and going right through her skull.

He choked down another sob and focused on running towards the hospital. But as he grew closer, the night sky began to grow brighter. The smell of smoke was stronger than it ever was before. And when he finally reached the hospital's gate, he was horrified to see the building was up in flames. "The hospital..!" He fell to his knees again, his tumbling legs unable to hold him up any longer. "L-Lamy," he whispered. "_LAMY!_"

The image of her smiling happily, holding an ice cream cone up popped into his mind. _"I'll always be by your side. I'll always be there for you." "That's what older siblings do. We look after our little siblings." _Luffy felt his fists curl as those words echoed throughout the scene. It reminded him of Ace so much. Ace had always looked after Luffy, had always taken care of him and protected him no matter what the cost. _"I'm your big brother, it's only natural I protect you since you're such a weak crybaby!" _Oh, how he missed Ace.

Law repeated his sister's name again and again. She had been so young, so innocent. Why did she have to die? She hadn't done a single thing wrong in her entire life! Why did she have to die? Why? _Why?!_

_Why couldn't it have been him instead?_

He failed to protect his own sister. He promised he'd keep her safe, that'd he'd always be by her side. He hadn't been there when she needed him the most. He hadn't been there when the hospital was set aflame. He hadn't been there to tell her it was all okay and that he'd protect her no matter what. He hadn't been there to save her. _He hadn't been there_.

He hadn't been able to save anyone.

His mind couldn't take it.

No…

His _heart_ couldn't take it.

He threw back his head, and screamed to the heavens.

The crew couldn't stare at the scene, nor listen to his screams any longer. "It's just like what happened in Marineford," Franky said, trying to ignore the broken child's anguished cries. "His mind just couldn't handle it…"

"To have a mental breakdown at such a young age," Usopp whispered, shaking his head. "And it's all the World Governments fault…!"

"So that's what Law meant," Luffy's quietly said.

"What do you mean?" Brook asked.

"After the war, when Jinbei made me realize I still had my friends left, Law came and talked to me afterwards."

"Oh yeah," Nami whispered, wiping away her own tears. "I remember seeing that."

* * *

_The sound of grass crunching weight had Luffy and Jinbei looking up. There stood Law, a straw hat grasped in his hand. "I would like to speak to Mugiwara-ya alone," he said, eyes never leaving the crying teen. The fishman gave a nod and left to give the two captains privacy. When they were alone, Law walked over to Luffy, holding out the straw hat. "Here."_

_Luffy's shaky fingers reached out and grabbed the hat tightly, holding it like it was his only lifeline. "Thank you," he sniffed._

_"I suggest you take it easy from now on until you're healed," Law said, turning around. "I'm leaving with my crew now. If you reopen your wounds, you'll die." Luffy simply nodded, wiping away the tears on his cheeks._

_"Why did you save me?" Law did not answer right away._

_"…It was a spur of the moment decision," he finally replied. His voice was even and emotionless, just as his face was. "That's all." He went quiet for another moment. Then, "I'm sorry for your loss."_

_Law began to walk away, but he could still hear Luffy whisper something under his breath. "It should have been me." The words stopped Law in his tracks, but he did not turn around._

_"It's better that he died and you lived, than having you die and he live." Luffy's eyes widened and he snapped his head up to glare at the surgeon._

_"What did you say?" he quietly snarled._

_"I believe you heard me just fine."_

_"You bastard!" Luffy shot to his feet and turned Law around, grabbing the front of the man's hoodie with clenched fists. Angry and regret burned fiercely in Luffy's eyes, but the surgeon was unaffected by the look. Was Law like everyone else in the world? Did this man believe that Ace should never have been born simply because he was the child of Roger? "How dare you say that! I'll kick your–"_

_"You and Ace-ya seemed rather close," Law suddenly interrupted, cutting of Luffy's anger. "He was willing to sacrifice everything for you without a moment's hesitation. He also seemed quite protective of you, more protective than a normal older sibling should be. I'm guessing you meant more to him than you can even begin to realize. Tell me, why did Ace-ya continue to live?"_

_Luffy's eyes slightly widened, and the grip on the man's hoodie slackened. "Because…of me…"_

_"If you were his reason of living, how do you think he would have felt if you had died because he had failed to protect you? Because he wasn't at your side when you needed him the most?" Something flashed in the surgeon's eyes at that moment, but Luffy couldn't place what it was. "If he had woken up after the war and discovered he failed to protect the only thing that kept him alive, he would have been utterly broken. If you thought what you're feeling now is guilt, it's nothing compared to how Ace-ya would have felt."_

_The hands completely fell away from Law's hoodie._

_"It was better that he died and you lived…than him having to wake to realize he couldn't protect his younger brother."_

_Luffy knew Law was right. He remembered the time when he fought the Bear King back on his home island, and how frightened Ace had been when the bear managed to badly injure Luffy. That had been the first time Luffy had seen Ace cry. His brother kept repeating the words, "I'm sorry, Luffy. I'm so sorry, it's my fault. I'm sorry" all throughout the night._

_Law words helped melt away a lot of the regret._

_Not all of it, because he still knew it was his fault Ace died, but most of it was indeed gone now as he thought over the man's words._

_The surgeon around and began walking back towards his submarine. "Take care, Mugiwara-ya. It would be a shame for you to die so early in the race." And with that, Law was gone._

* * *

"He was speaking from experience," Luffy said, realizing that what had flashed in the surgeon's eyes during their conversation had been understanding.

"I hate this," Usopp said, his fists shaking from anger. "It's not right to see this, it's not right at all!"

"It can't get any worse…right? I mean, that was pretty horrifying."

"I doubt it can," another member answered before shaking their head. "But you never know. Either way, we're going to find out."

"I feel bad for Law," Chopper said quietly. "When he wakes up, he's going to remember every single bad memory all at once. We all did, and it look what did to us. We could barely talk to each other for almost two days. How is he going to react, being on a ship full of people he doesn't really know?" Not only that, but quite a few of them had small panic attacks upon waking up with their minds filled with nothing but horrible memories. Robin and Luffy, though, had the worst panic attacks. The little reindeer had to give them mild sedatives to calm them down.

No one had an answer for Chopper's question.

Finally, Law's screams died down, and the memory faded back to black. The crew remained silent, trying to forget the horrible images they just saw. But in the back of their minds, they now knew they had an answer for Nami's earlier question.

_"How can you be so cruel?!"_

* * *

_\- Back on the ship -_

Honbee sat in the darkness with her eyes closed. She could feel her Devil Fruit starting to take affect, converting the memory into power. Her mind replayed what she had just seen; all the horror and cruelty a war could bring. How it and the loss of so many loved ones could affect one so deeply. "What a truly horrible memory," she whispered, her voice quivering lightly.

A sinister grin pulled at her lips.

"How utterly _perfect_."

* * *

_A/N: I HOPE IT WAS OKAY. I don't know. I feel like…this chapter could have been better. If you think so, tell me what I could have added. And I'll go back and try to add it in. I think I rushed some scenes. Didn't mean to if I did. Anyway, the next chapter is going to based off the song Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones. I think it matches Law perfectly after Lamy dies._

_I got so excited yesterday thinking, "I can't wait to write the scenes with Law and Corazon during their six months together! I'm gonna add so much fluffy stuff!" And then I realized this story is only focusing on the bad memories of Law's past. And I got sad. XD So after this story is finished, I'll probably upload one that has all of Law's adventures with our big, lovable, clumsy Cora-san. :D_

_But again, thank you all so much for your kind and wonderful reviews! I wish I could reply to them all! I may, someday. But until then… *bows* THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU GUYS._

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	4. The Donquixote Family

Memory Trap  
Chapter Four: The Donquixote Family

* * *

_A/N: So, I have been thinking really really hard on the whole rape thing. I think I'm going to take sarge1130's suggestion. "Maybe sexual harassment (like mere touching) or maybe an attempted rate (where the culprit is interrupted when he gets to the exciting part)." Would that be more…fitting for the story? (If anything, I'll save the full 'rape' thing for a future story.)_

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

Nami had finally calmed herself down and gave a quiet sigh, staring off to the side as she and the rest of the crew all waited for the next memory to appear. The silence between them all was tense but no one dared to break it. Each member was lost in their own thoughts.

Usopp felt his hands shake as he desperately tried to erase the sight of all those dead children from his mind. He tried to forget the sound of their desperate and terrified screams and fought hard not to imagine how scared they must have been in their last moments on Earth.

Brook wasn't sure how to feel about what he just witnessed. It reminded him of how he had watched his own crew pass away, and how he'd been unable to keep them all safe. As an adult, it had been hard to deal with such loss. For a mere _child_ to have to go through that…

Luffy didn't feel like smiling, like he usually did to try and cheer up his crew up. Didn't feel like laughing, didn't feel like pulling a joke. His mind was far too focused on Law. The loss of his little sister had been what pushed him over the edge. _"That's what older siblings do. We look after our little siblings."_ _"It was better that he died and you lived…than him having to wake to realize he couldn't protect his younger brother."_ How had Law moved on after such an incident? Luffy barely moved on, and it was only with the help of Jinbei (and Law) that he was able to remember he still had his friends to live for.

But Law… All his friends and family had just died.

How had he moved on?

Sanji's fingers itched to light a cigarette as he held back the urge to tap his foot on the ground. His question from earlier had been answered; Law _had_ seen worse. It was a question Sanji wished had been left unanswered. But as he stood there, another question came to mind. "What are we going to do?"

The question seemed loud in the silence, and a few eyes landed on the blond chef. "What do you mean?" Franky asked, coming out from his own thoughts.

"When he wakes up. Do we tell him what's happening now? That we're witnessing his memories?"

"It would probably be a wise idea to," Robin spoke, her voice quiet. "He would begin to distrust us if he caught us in the middle of a lie. And in an alliance, you need absolute trust in each other. Especially since we'll be fight side by side against an emperor."

"But how can we trust him when he's obviously not telling us things?" Usopp asked, looking over the crew. "I mean, it's like we talked about earlier. He's fixated on Doflamingo more than anything, right?"

"So far it looks that way," Zoro answered. "It's probably for personal reasons."

"I have a feeling we're soon going to find out," Sanji sighed, motioning to the darkness that had begun to brighten and swirl.

The sight they were expecting was not what they were met with. Before them stood not a broken, crying Law like they had expected. Instead, the child had a blank look in his eyes that held a deep-seated hatred that made his eyes look almost maniacal. But that wasn't the only thing that caught their attention.

It was the _bombs_ covering his body that had them shocked.

"Wh-What's he doing with all those?" Usopp asked, unable to connect how Law had gone from mentally broken to…this.

"Let me join your crew," the boy said, his voice even and void of all emotion. That was the voice the crew knew, the voice Law would use. Looking at who sat and stood before the child, they were met without he sight of pink. Doflamingo sat in his chair with three others standing behind him. One was a man with snot hanging out of one nose and had a very hunched back. Around him he wore a soft looking coat. Another man wore an open vest, striped pants, and a light colored hat. The third was a man of muscles who looked like someone you did not want to mess with.

"Hey, who the hell let a brat like this into the base?!" the man with snot asked, irritation plain in his voice.

"I want to destroy everything that comes into sight." Doflamingo raised an amused eyebrow, his smile ever present on his face. He let out a small hum, and Law continued. The small child gave a small hint of a smile, though it was cold and unfeeling. "I want to destroy it all. I grew up in the White City." That earned a mild surprised expression on the young master. "I don't have much longer to live."

A shiver ran down Usopp's back, and he suddenly felt very uneasy of the new Law before him. The child was completely and utterly different. Even the way he held himself as he stood was more standoffish. There was nothing friendly about this Law, no. He had no doubt that this Law would kill without a moments hesitation or thought.

Robin's eyes softened at the sight of how much the small child had changed. While she had stayed on the path of living and tried her best to do as less harm as possible, Law had gone down the exact opposite road as her. He no longer cared, it seemed, for anyone's life or safety. He had just witnessed the massacre of his entire island. He wanted revenge, wanted to make the world pay for they did to his family and friends.

Zoro stared at the small boy, and in a way he was instantly reminded of Ace. They both had held the same dark aura around them. Ace because he knew the entire world wanted him dead simply because he was the son of Roger, Law because the entire world had killed what he had held precious. Zoro had been mad at the world when it decided to take Kuina away from him just after they made their promise, but never once had he thought to curse it or wish to destroy it. He glanced once more at the hatred in Law's eyes and gave a quiet sigh.

Chopper gave a worried look at Law. He could only imagine what was running through the child's mind, and how much pain his heart was in. Chopper's heart still hurt when he thought about Dr. Hiruluk's death. How much did Law's heart hurt when he thought about his family and friends? The pain, he figured, was near unimaginable.

Doflamingo said something that had them all breaking out of their thoughts, and they looked up to see him exiting the room with the large muscular man. "Must be going to talk to the newbies," the man with the light colored hat said.

The man with snot looked at Law. "So you're going to die, eh? Beheheh! When will you die?"

"In two years and three months." Law's voice was sure and steady, not a single shred of doubt in it. It made some of the crew flinch, hearing a child state their time of death so easily.

"Did the doctor tell you that?"

Several memories flashed in Law's mind quickly. _"So you want to be a doctor like us, Law?" His father gave a smile, as did his mother. "Well then. We'll teach you everything we know so you can become the greatest doctor you can." His mother pointed to the vein in the back of her hand. "This is where you stick the needle, okay? Make sure to get the vein though." His father entered the room and raised an eyebrow. "You're still awake? I know you have insomnia, but maybe you should still lay down. It'll help your body to rest so it doesn't exhaust itself out. Don't worry, the medical books aren't going anywhere." His mother and father stood side-by-side as they stood before Law, both with smiles on their faces. "It's amazing how fast your learning, Law. We have no doubt that you're going to be a medical prodigy." "We're proud of you, Law." "We love you."_

"My dead parents were doctors," he said coldly. Despite how unemotional he looked, the Straw Hats could still pick up the trace amounts of sadness in his voice at mentioning his parents and how they were no longer alive. "I could see the medical data."

"Uahahah, you're smart boy."

"I'll kill a lot in these three years. I want to destroy everything." Law's eyes darkened, his voice still even and strong.

"Uhaha! Your head must have something wrong with it. We accept kids here. About a hundred have come so far, but most of them ran away crying after two days."

Law opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the voice of someone else. Looking to the window by his side, he saw a small girl and a rather plump boy smiling happily. "Niin! Trevor-sama, Diamante-sama!"

"Cora-san is back!"

"They're kids too, but they survived," the one the crew now knew as Diamante stated. "It's Buffalo and Baby5." The door behind Law opened, and he turned to see who it was. "And the one who just came back is…" The man who began to walk in was tall, at little under ten feet, and wore a deep red hat that had tassels in the shape of hearts hanging from it. On his back was a dark-purple feathered mantle. He wore a shirt with pink hearts, beige pants, mismatched shoes, and had odd making up adorning his face.

But just before Diamante could finish the introduction, the man slipped on absolutely nothing; falling hard and ungracefully onto his back beside Law. The other two children, Buffalo and Baby5, laughed at the man's action. "Kyahahaha! He tripped!"

The tall man got onto his feet, his head down so his blond bangs and hat shadowed his face. Without warning, his arm lashed out; hitting both Buffalo and Baby5 in the face which sent them flying. Sanji roared, yelling at the male in the memory never to hit a woman. The man continued on to an empty seat, falling down into it and crossing his legs. Baby5 approached him with a hot cup of tea and a bright smile. "Cora-san. Have some tea." The man took it and began to bring it up to his mouth.

"Doesn't the tea seem a little hot to…" Brook was cut off when the man took a drink of his tea and suddenly splurt it out, causing the little girl to laugh. This then caused the male to lean too far back into his chair, making it fall to the floor. "…drink."

"This guy's an idiot," Sanji sweat-dropped, earning several nods of agreement from the crew.

Diamante and Trebol looked on as if it was a normal, everyday occurrence while Law stood there in absolute silence; obviously not finding any part of it humorous. "Corazon, did you finish your job? Give me the proceeds. We must be honest with money."

Then Trebol spoke up. "Was your name Law? That's an executive, too. His name is Corazon. He's stupid and has no concentration, but he quite talented." Corazon, at his introduction, stood up and began to head for Law. "Probably because of his lineage. He's captain Dofy's younger brother."

"Doflamingo has a younger brother?" Chopper asked, eyes wide.

"If they're related, then this Corazon going to be hard to defeat," Zoro noted, a trace of excitement apparent in his voice. He always looked forward for a great challenge. And from what he heard, Doflamingo was quite the expert fighter. If his brother was anything like that as well…

"He can't speak because, apparently, he had a shocking accident in the past." Corazon's hand landed on Law's head, surprising the child. "Also…he hates kids. Be careful." But as the warning was being told, Corazon had picked Law up by the head…and threw him out the glass window. The crew looked on in shock, not expecting such a violent action. They watched Law fly through the air with a look of surprise. It was obvious he too hadn't expected such a thing to happen.

He fell through the air and landed in a pile of scrap metal, and Chopper and Usopp couldn't help but flinch at the impact. Nami, too, made a face. "That had to hurt." Inside, Corazon lit up a cigarette; causing part his feathered mantle to catch on fire. Baby5 and Buffalo screamed.

"Wah! He died!"

"He crashed into a mountain of steel!" Down below, Law pushed himself onto his hands and knees. He gave small pants and brought one hand up to the side of his face where blood gushed from an open wound. The look in his eyes sent shivers down a few Straw Hats' spines. That was a dark look the child was giving, one that promised nothing good whatsoever.

_'What's with crazy guy…?! I'll kill you!'_ The crew heard Law's threatening thoughts, and turned to look at what all the commotion they were hearing behind them. They were met with the sight of Corazon up in flames just as the memory began to fade away. "Corazon is burning! Someone, put him out!"

"How could someone so clumsy be Doflamingo's brother?" Franky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Looks can be quite deceiving," Brook answered.

"If he's an executive, he's got to be strong. I have a feeling Doflamingo wouldn't have made his brother an executive if he didn't believe the man was capable of taking care of himself and any missions he's sent on."

"Well, Diamante did say he was 'quite talented.'"

"Still, what a way to say hi," Nami mused. "Being thrown out a window isn't the best way to meet someone."

"You don't think Law meant that he was really going to kill Corazon, do you?"

"He meant it," Zoro answered. "You can tell by the look in his eyes and the way he talks. He no longer really cares about living. He simply wants to destroy as much as he can until the Amber Lead takes his life."

"It's like he suddenly has no heart. He doesn't care about anything. Almost as if his entire world went from being colorful to just...black."

"The death of his everyone he knew completely changed him," Robin stated. "Witnessing such a thing at a young age can twist anyone's personality."

"I like that Corazon guy," Luffy quietly laughed. "He reminds me of Gramps kinda."

"Not exactly," Usopp sweat-dropped. Garp was far worse with children. But, then again, they'd just met Corazon. For all they knew, he _was_ just like Garp when it came to children. "I wonder how Law made it out of Frevance, though."

"I was wondering about that, too."

"I don't know if I want to find out," Nami mumbled. She couldn't help but feel as if something bad would happen again in Law's life.

And she certainly wasn't looking forward to seeing it.

* * *

_A/N: I HAD WRITER'S BLOCK FOR THIS CHAPTER. So if ANYTHING seems wrong or forced, or if anything is lacking, please please please let me know. Sorry it's not as long as the last chapter but, like I said, I had writer's block. DX And I know Luffy hardly says anything, but I just...don't know what to make him say. If something dark/bad is happening, he usually just watches quietly, doesn't he? Ugh. I fail at writing their reactions/thoughts, but it's the best I can do. Sorry. o_o_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
~»roo the psycho«_


	5. Edict of Blood

Memory Trap  
Chapter Five: Edict of Blood

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_A/N: So here's the new chapter. Hope it's okay. And thank you once again for all your reviews and thoughts! It really helps keep me inspired. :]_

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

When Law appeared once again before them, he looked far more dirty and beaten up than they'd last seen him. Multiple scrapes lined his legs and arms, and dried blood could still be seen on the side of his face. He lifted a to hand wipe away the blood dripping from his nose. "Wow, it looks like he got tossed out a window multiple times," Franky mumbled.

"You think it's all Corazon's doing?" Chopper asked.

"Wouldn't be surprised if it was," Nami answered.

Before Law was the entire Donquixote family sitting around a table eating. The crew let their eyes fall and take in the appearance of each one; memorizing their faces for the upcoming battle against them. Sanji raised an eyebrow as his eyes landed on something small reaching for a glass of water on the table. "Is that…a baby?"

"Eh?" All eyes fell to the spot Sanji was looking. "They took in _babies?_"

"He looks quite cute," Robin commented with a small smile. And Sanji definitely did _not_ get jealous of a baby.

"What a place to grow up," Brook mused, his eye sockets looking over all the people in the room once more. Their ages varied; from a mere baby to others who looked to be in their thirties or older.

Luffy, on the other hand, had his eyes set on the man wearing the bunny ears. "Woah! He has bunny ears! Are they real?"

"I highly doubt they are," Franky answered.

"Do you think Law can make me into a centaur again once he wakes up? Oh, maybe he can give me wings, too! It'll be _sooo_ awesome! Then all I would need would be a suit of armor and–"

"I don't think the centaur thing is going to happen," Nami interrupted before Luffy could get his hopes up about it.

"Aw, why not?"

"Because in order for that to happen, Law has to cut somebody's legs off. And I highly doubt Kin'emon is willing to give up his legs again."

"It's fine," Luffy grinned. "I'll just take Zoro's."

"Oi!" The green-haired swordsman gave his captain a look that said _don't even think about it_. Luffy merely pouted before focusing back on the family before him.

"Behehe! Hey, Law. It's been a week, feeling homesick yet?" The question almost had Law flinching where he stood, and the crew had no doubt that Law was in fact missing home and all his family and friends. "Corazon's really done a number on you." Trebol lifted his hand and poked Corazon on the head, but the silent male didn't react at all as he continued to eat.

"Kids and grownups alike split the first chance they get. We're the select powerful few that've remained. I wonder how long a powerless little shit like you will last?" Diamante swirled a glass of wine in his hand.

"No matter what happens, you must remember the 'Edict of Blood,'" a man wearing bunny ears said while reaching for a giant slice of pizza. The size of said pizza had Luffy drooling on the spot, and his stomach gave a loud growl in hunger. The fact that they could all smell how delicious it was didn't help the other Straw Hats' stomachs. "An affront to an executive of the family is tantamount to an affront to the family itself."

"Once, I laughed at lord Pica and I almost died during the torture they put me through afterward," Buffalo said with a smile, taking a bite of his slice of food. Next to him, Baby5 simply laughed. Usopp sweat-dropped along with Chopper; how someone could laugh at such a statement was beyond them.

"I'm not afraid of Corazon," Law said. "I've seen hell itself." It was unfortunate that the statement was actually true.

The look on Doflamingo darkened, and behind his sunglasses his eyes narrowed. "Fufufu, you're free to bluff and blow hot air to your heart's content. But remember this: Corazon is my precious little brother! I will personally bring death to anyone that so much as touches a hair on his head!"

Luffy couldn't help but feel a little nostalgia at hearing those words. Ace had said something similar once to a group of enemies they fought back on their home island. Doflamingo may be an ass – or so he's heard from others – and an evil mastermind, but to see that he truly cared about his family made him seem more human than what people made him out to be. Still, that didn't change the fact that Luffy was going to kick his ass if it came to that.

All talk was suddenly cut off when a panicked yell came from one of the family members. "This kid…his skin's white-iin!"

The woman next to him also became quite alarmed. "That's the Amber Lead sickness! I have no desire to catch that!"

Buffalo nearly choked on his food and instantly stood up upon hearing the woman's words, running to the other side of the room to put as much distance as he could between him and the diseased child. "What?! It's contagious!? Gross! You, get out of here right now dasuyan!"

Law gave a low growl, clenching his teeth in anger. His hands curled into fists so tight they shook and his knuckles turned white. Pain flashed through his eyes for a moment, and the memory of seeing his parents die before his eyes came to mind. Nami had to look away from the memory, unable to watch such a thing again.

Luckily, all commotion was stopped the moment Doflamingo slammed his hand down on the table, scaring the wits out of the woman who had spoken earlier. "Jora! Don't repeat rumor as fact. That pisses me off." And apparently it really did, because the young blond no longer held his usual smile, but an unhappy frown. "Look, Buffalo's gone and believed you. Amber Lead sickness is a type of poisoning. It cannot be transmitted to others."

"How did Doflamingo know?" Brook asked in curiosity. "It seemed like everyone else believed it was contagious."

"He probably had connections," Zoro answered. "Not only that, but he's right; poisoning has never been contagious. It's common sense."

"But just in case, you better not get close to me dasuyan!" Buffalo yelled, still afraid. "I ain't about to catch something like that dasuyan!"

"Are there any other survivors left in Frevance?"

"I don't know. I barely managed to escape myself."

"How'd you even manage to get out?"

"Hidden in the mountain of corpses, I crossed the border." And as the image of the memory flashed before the Straw Hats, many of them had to turn away at the sight; finding their stomachs suddenly turning at the horrendous sight of so many dead bodies piled up on top of one another in a cart.

"Oh my God," Nami whispered as she held a hand to her mouth. Usopp had to take in several deep breaths to prevent himself from throwing up, focusing his widened eyes on the ground. Brook, too, looked away; focusing his eye sockets on his shoe like it had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world. Beneath the corpses, the few members who were strong enough to stomach witnessing the scene could see Law tucked away; dirt and blood smudging his skin and clothes.

The smell from the bodies wafted through the air, and Chopper quickly raised his hooves to his nose to block out the foul odor. It had hit him so suddenly, it left him partially dizzy, making him lean against Robin's legs. "This is...!" Sanji, too, found he couldn't really stomach the smell. He breathed into the arm of his jacket instead, but it did little in blocking out the strong smell.

What disturbed them to the most was the absolute blank look in the child's eyes. Like it hadn't bothered him in the slightest that he was currently underneath dead friends and neighbors. If anything, the most he looked was slightly worried that he'd be caught by soldiers. It seemed as if the smell hadn't bothered him in the slightest either. "How awful," Robin spoke.

"That's messed up," Franky grit out.

"Uchk!" The sound pulled Law from his memory, and all the Straw Hats looked up to see where the sound originated from. At the table, one of the family members had their hand over their mouth; their cheeks slightly puffed and their face looking pale. "Hey, we're eating here…!"

Doflamingo's dark smile returned once more. "What is it that you resent so?" It was Zoro who slightly narrowed his eyes as Doflamingo spoke. It seemed that the young blond was more interested in the child, but there seemed to be something else in the male's voice. Something Zoro just couldn't place.

"I don't believe in anything." The statement was full of promise, and the child's voice didn't waver in the slightest. "I'm not even scared of dying. Corazon, you better not get carried away with yourself." At the far end of the table, Corazon's sunglass covered eyes moved to land on the child as he took another bite of his food. "I promise you…I will have my revenge."

Chopper opened his mouth to say something when a higher voice cut him off. "Are you stupid or something?" It was Baby5. She'd gotten out of her seat and walked over to Law with a mild glare in her eyes. "Stuff like that is what gets you tortured, idiot! You're gonna get the 'Skewer Torture'! You shouldn't mess around with pirates!" She raised her hand and brought it down hard on the back of Law's head.

"Yeah, that was a smart thing to do," Franky sarcastically commented.

"You're probably thinking that just because you're a kid you can cry and apologize and pretend like nothing ever happened, right?!" Law's answer had been a rather dark and fierce glare that left the small girl crying and trembling against Buffalo. The sound of a chair being moved had Law focusing on Corazon who had stood up to leave. The man pocketed his hands and began to walk for the door, only trip over nothing halfway there. Luffy laughed at the man's clumsiness, and the crew couldn't help but smile at hearing their captain's laughter.

However, Law hadn't found the man's clumsiness funny at all. If anything, it seemed to only anger him. He glared at the blond who began to get back on his feet. He saw the blond's arm begin to move, and Law suddenly took several quick steps back to get out of reach of the male. It hadn't done any good. Corazon's long arm shot out quickly and grabbed the collar of Law's shirt. He then proceeded to toss Law out the nearest window where, luckily, the child landed somewhat on his feet rather than on his face. "That bastard," he growled out, seething with anger. Then the scene began to twist and merge with other blurred colors.

"What's going on?"

"It's probably transitioning to another scene," Robin answered. The scene then began to clear out, and the crew was standing in the middle a large area of scrapped metal. To their left and above stood Law with darkened eyes and deep frown. In his one had was a sharp knife. Down below sat Corazon who had his full attention on the newspaper in his hands.

Chopper gulped. "I don't think I like where this is going…"

"If he kills Corazon, or if he even _harms_ him, Doflamingo's going to kill him," Sanji said, furrowing his brows. "Does he honestly not care that getting so called 'revenge' will bring about his death?"

"He's more focused on his current mindset." The green-haired swordsman gave a quiet sigh. "He currently believes in nothing and wants only to kill as many people as he can. He's going to die anyway, so the thought of dying no longer scares him. If anything, it would bring about a sense of peace for him."

"It would end all his suffering and he'd be reunited with his family and friends," Brook summed up.

_'There he is…Corazon…' _The child's thoughts echoed through the air. _'My parents, my sister, everyone at the academy… They all died…'_ His grip on the knife tightened, and a look of pure anger came across his features. He raised the knife and darted forward as silently as he could, his sights set on nothing but Corazon. _'Why does this idiot have the right to live?! I just have to keep my mouth shut, no one's going to find out… Who cares if the world loses one more shithead?'_

Nami's eyes filled with sadness at hearing the small child's thoughts. "Oh, Law…"

Zoro expected Corazon to dodge the oncoming attack, that since he was the brother to Doflamingo that his senses would be well trained. But that did not happen. Law's attack landed. The knife went right through the adult's body, the tip of it protruding out his chest like a grotesque growth. Yet the adult let not a sound escape him, though he did glare fiercely at Law through the corner of his eyes.

"He's been stabbed!" Chopper had the urge to run over and begin treating the male, but he managed to stop himself. It was only a memory, after all.

"Heart guy!" Luffy called. "Hey, that didn't kill him, did it? I really liked that guy!"

"It's awfully close to his heart," Chopper observed. "If his feathered coat hadn't been there, I doubt Law would have missed his heart. This would is pretty bad, but if he gets it taken care of right away it should be fine."

Up on the hill, Buffalo's eyes widened in shock. Law noticed his presence and gave a silent curse. He had hoped no one would witness him attacking the adult. Sweat began to appear on Buffalo's face, realizing what the situation meant. "He… He broke the Edict of Blood! It's the Skewer Torture for him dasuyan! I'm going to report this… to the young master!"

_'Shit, shit, shit!'_ Law suddenly ditched the knife still stuck in Corazon and ran for Buffalo who had turned and began to head back to the base. As soon as he was close enough, Law gave a quiet growl. "Buffalo, I'll buy you an ice cream if you don't tell Doflamingo!"

Sanji was about snort and say that you don't bribe people with ice cream but was cut off by Buffalo's voice. "Make it an extra large 500B ice cream dasuyan." Law gave a nod and dragged the other child to the nearest ice cream shop, digging into his pocket to bring out just enough money to cover the ice cream.

_'Still, I can't trust him,'_ Law thought, his eyes looking towards the ocean. _'I better leave, just in case Doflamingo somehow hears about this.'_ So he ran from the town and headed straight for the harbor. He wasn't afraid to die, he just didn't want to die before he could take his revenge on the world.

And it was that reason and that reason alone that made him run on to avoid being murdered by the young master.

* * *

_A/N: Have I mentioned how horrible Writer's Block is? Because it's downright torturous. It sucks. I hate it. I wish it would leave me alone and never come back. Wanted to end the chapter better, but just couldn't think of a way how. If anything seemed out of place/character, let me know and I'll change it. Also, let me know if I should have added anything to this chapter, and I'll try to add it. ^^ Again, thanks for all your reviews; they do mean a lot! (For a side note: Let's just say that Kin'emon and his son are on the ship guarding Caesar because the Straw Hats gave them that job if anything weird happened.)_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	6. An Official Member

Memory Trap  
Chapter Six: An Official Member

* * *

_A/N: Hi guys! So **I added a short scene or two to the last chapter**. (Nothing big, really. Just thought I'd let you know.) So I've decided to add things from Law's POV and stuff in this chapter. What do you guys think? Lemme know, please? I'm kinda depending on you guys to steer me though this. ^^; XD Still working on the Straw Hats reactions though. ^^;_

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; this ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

Law ran. He ran faster than he'd ever run before. He had heard of Doflamingo's powers, which had been the main reason he went to the young master than any other pirate crew, so he had a faint idea just how terrible this Skewer Torture really was. After all, Doflamingo hand't become well known for his kindness or mercy. He was unrelenting against his enemies, and Law knew that when the young master found out his brother had been killed, Law would enter a world of horrendous pain if the man got a hold of him.

He quickly turned the corner, the harbor suddenly within sight. A dark smirk played at his features before he felt a twinge of anger that bit at the back of his mind. Corazon had been the absolute clumsiest person Law had ever saw, _how_ had he survived for so long as a pirate? Why should he have lived while his family perished for no reason? Why should anyone care that piece of filth pirate died? The world hadn't cared for his family, for his friends, _for his people_.

"He's never going to make it to the harbor," Zoro suddenly spoke up, his eyes focused on something over to the side. Luffy, too, had his eyes where his swordsman was looking.

"What makes you say that?" Brook asked, looking for anything out of the ordinary on the street they were running on.

"Marimo's right," Sanji sighed, wishing he had a cigarette. The stress of watching Law's memories really made his fingers itch to hold a stick of nicotine. "Two family members are already closing in on Law."

"Eh?" Nami asked, looking around. She didn't see anyone's face that she recognized from the family dinner earlier. "I don't see any…" It was as Law took another step did two shadows easily intercept him from an alley. The child had nowhere to go and no time to react when the two adults grabbed his arms and lifted him off the ground. Usopp recognized the woman, Jora as Doflamingo had called her. Franky recognized the other man, who towered over Jora and had a large, muscular body.

"And where do you think you're going?" Jora asked. Law didn't answer as he struggled against their hold, but it was useless. Their grips were too strong to break. "The young master has asked to see you. Let's not keep him waiting."

"They found out about Corazon fast." Usopp furrowed his brows. "Too fast, really. And they don't look upset at all."

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head to the side a little. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think Doflamingo sent them after Law because of what he did to Corazon," Usopp explained. "I think this is for a completely different reason, and he has yet to hear about what happened to his brother."

Law continued to struggle as the two family members brought him closer to the base, and he threw a kick that would have hit Jora right in the knee if she hadn't moved out of the way. In retaliation, she tightened her grip on his arm, making him grit his teeth. It was no use, he couldn't free himself from their grasp. Every step the adults took brought Law closer to what he knew what his slow and painful death.

As Jora opened a familiar looking door, Law bared his teeth. He'd come to the Donquixote family to learn to kill and destroy, not to become one of their victims. He silently cursed himself for letting his emotions get the best of him, he should have just turned the other cheek when it came to Corazon.

But he _couldn't_ turn the other cheek. The man had thrown him out a fucking _window_. Had he been another kid, that fall could have killed him if he had landed wrong. And the very idea that he could have died after just escaping Frevance and its horrors made his blood boil. He did not survive that massacre just to die by the hand of some clumsy bastard…!

"The boy's suddenly so determined to run away," Jora spoke as they entered the room.

"He ran all the way to the port-iin!" Off to the side sat Buffalo and Baby5; Buffalo licking the ice cream Law had bought him and Baby5 looking as if she had tears in her eyes. The second sight disgusted him, he didn't want her tears or pity. Then Law's picked up on something just beside Doflamingo. He felt his eyes widen for a split second.

"Heart guy!" Luffy smiled, his eyes landing on where Law was looking.

_'Corazon?! Damn it, he's not dead! I'll die for nothing! I thought I'd bribed Buffalo with ice cream, though… Corazon blabbed to his brother then! That bastard! But he knife went right through him, yet he's acting as if it hadn't happened!'_

"He's right," Franky spoke up. "The guy's acting as if he hadn't been stabbed at all."

"Maybe…" Usopp rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, his brows furrowed in the slightest. "Maybe he doesn't want Law to get killed."

"But hasn't he been tossing Law out windows?" Chopper asked, tilting his head a little.

"Yes, he has," Robin answered. "However, that does not mean he wishes to see the child die. He hits Baby5 and Buffalo too, but there doesn't seem to be actual malice behind the attacks." She gave a small smile. "It's as Luffy said, he's quite similar to Garp in a few ways."

"Law," Doflamingo spoke, cutting off anymore talk of the Straw Hats. "I've called you here for one reason. I intend to make you an official member of the Donquixote family." Law looked surprised, obviously not expecting such a statement. He thought he was going to be given the Skewer Torture, this was the complete opposite of just that. "The sort of terrible glare birthed in those that have faced the most horrible of experiences…. You have potential!"

"So that's the reason he took Law in? Was because of what he went through in Frevance?" Franky asked.

"Ohohoho! You've been deemed worthy!" Jory laughed, resting her hand on Law's hatted head. "Well done! The young master has his hopes set on you."

Law, for the most part, ignored the woman's praise as he focused his eyes solely on the mute male smoking next to Doflamingo. He didn't understand. _'Does he…not know about Corazon? How?! Corazon could have just wrote a report down on a piece of paper, right? What's going on…?!'_

"I guess Doflamingo's brother really didn't want to see Law die," Brook summed up. "Still, I wonder how he'll explain how he got the wound."

"He could probably always blame his clumsiness," Zoro suggested.

"You have a point there."

"Worthy or not," Law started, focusing his attention back to Doflamingo. "I'm still going to die in three years."

"Fufufu! That depends on your luck! My specialty is black market business. Among other things, I deal in Devil Fruit trading. The power of these fruits sometimes exceeds human knowledge. Who knows, there may be a power out there than can heal even your illness."

"Devil Fruits…" Law had heard stories of Devil Fruits from some visitors who stopped by Frevance. Tales of how terrifying their powers were, or how bizarre and useful they could be. He heard how there were people out in the Grand Line that could control fire, cause tsunamis and earthquakes, and create sandstorms with just a flick of their wrist. The stories intrigued him, but he never knew what to make of them; were they real, or were they fake? He found it hard to believe that someone in the world had the ability to turn to turn to smoke without moving a muscle.

"If you're lucky, in the that three year limit of yours, a fruit might come by, one that could save you. And I'll train you for ten years to be my right-hand man!"

"Right-hand man?" Nami asked. "He's putting a lot of faith in Law even though he's only been around for a week!"

"Something's not right." Zoro slightly furrowed his brows. "He must have some ulterior motive."

"I agree," Sanji spoke. "I got a bad feeling about it, too."

The occupants of the room began to disperse, going back about their business now that Doflamingo was done talking to Law. The child's eyes focused on the clumsy blond once more, watching how he got up to leave. His movement was a little slower than usual, and he was careful not to trip. Curious, Law followed him. He was pretty sure he'd stabbed the man, so why hadn't Corazon told his brother about the incident.

Corazon entered his room, forgetting to close the door, and sat down on the nearest wooden chair. He then began to take off his feathered coat and shirt, placing them off to the side. Law's eyes slightly narrowed as he saw the fresh wound covered in blood-stained bandages. His eyes also traveled over the blond's back, taking in the many scars that littered his body.

He knew just by looking that many of the scars were most likely from his clumsiness.

Others, however, were far too deep and thick to be from merely falling down and lighting oneself on fire. They were battle wounds, he guessed. But he couldn't help but notice just how many of those scars there were there. If Doflamingo had made him an executive, he was no doubt strong and able to hold his ground in a fight. Yet there were so many signs that he'd been deeply injured. And quite a few of those scars looked old. _Very _old.

Corazon began to pull at the bandages, probably to take them off to change them. The child didn't fail to notice how the man slightly shook as he did this. "Chopper, how bad is the wound?"

The little reindeer was quiet a moment. "Not too bad. As long as he keeps it clean and doesn't irritate it, it should heal fine. Though I do hope he has someone take a look at it later. He'll also have to take it easy for a few days. These other scars though… He must have gotten them when he was much younger."

"But aren't those scars from pretty bad injuries?" Luffy asked. Some of the scars looked pretty…bad. They weren't simple little scars, they were wide and deep. How could a child get such wounds?

"Law." The voice had Law snapping his attention to the other approaching blond who had his hands in his pockets. Doflamingo noticed just what room Law was peeking into and couldn't help but glance inside. "Hm? Corazon. What happened? What's that wound from?" Actual concern laced the young master's voice as he asked the question.

"Well at least he actually cares about his brother. Though Law looks like he's about to make a break for it," Usopp commented. Corazon pulled out a slip of paper and began writing something down.

"Law's beginning to sweat. If Corazon writes down Law's name, there's no way he can get away with Doflamingo standing right there."

"Nah, Heart guy's too nice for that," Luffy suddenly said. "He'll probably lie about the wound."

When Corazon held up the piece of paper for his brother to see what he wrote, the crew read the single word on the paper.

_Enemy_

"I shouldn't be surprised Luffy was right," Usopp started. "But I still kind of am." It wasn't a secret that the crew knew how well Luffy was at reading people. If he said they could trust someone, then they knew right then and there they could rely on that person to pull through till the end. There was only one time where Luffy's instincts had been wrong, and that had been when CP9 were disguised as shipwrights in Water 7.

Doflamingo frowned at the word, his brows pulled together in both worry and confusion. "He hurt you pretty bad, it looks really deep. I hope you've gotten rid of him once and for all." Corazon wrote down something else and raised the paper. Doflamingo's shoulders relaxed a little at seeing the _I took care of him_ written on the new slip. "I see. Be careful, and take care of yourself." The older blond then turned to Law. If he noticed the child mildly sweating, he didn't say anything about it. "Come, Law."

As Law began to follow Doflamingo, he couldn't help but glance at Corazon one last time. _'He…protected me? What is he thinking? I don't understand that idiot at all!'_

When Law was shown to his room, he couldn't help but notice a few medical textbooks resting on the table against the wall. "I heard your parents were doctors," Doflamingo started. "And I haven't missed how you tend to the wounds you sustain. You plan on becoming a doctor too one day, correct?" Law merely nodded. "These are a few of the medical books we currently have. If you need anymore, let me know." He gently pushed the boy more into the room with a small laugh before turning to leave to attend to some minor business he had.

Law looked as if he wanted to say something but quickly dismissed it, turning his attention back to the medical books on the table. His dream of becoming a surgeon hadn't died out. He highly doubted they would find a Devil Fruit that would be able to heal his illness, but until his death actually came, Law had no intention of simply wasting his time.

He would study to become a surgeon while taking his revenge on the world.

He headed for the table and sat himself down, picking up the book on the top of the pile and began his studying.

The scene suddenly began to blur, and colors began to merge and twist until it looked like an abstract painting. The sight had Usopp letting out a small sound of awe. "Okay, so if Law's still alive, that means Doflamingo gave him the Ope Ope no Mi, right?"

"It's definitely looking like that."

"If so, then when does he have sights set on Doflamingo so badly? You'd think he'd be grateful to the man for finding a Devil Fruit that could cure his illness."

"Not only that, he seems to dislike the entire family now. Did you see how back on Punk Hazard he didn't hesitate to call Baby5 and Buffalo enemies. They seemed to really like him and couldn't believe he betrayed them."

"Whatever the reason, we're most likely going to see it," Sanji bit out.

Nami sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple. "You're probably right." She wished she didn't have to watch their ally's memories – hell, _all the Straw Hats_ wished they didn't have to watch them – but since they had no choice of the matter, she figured they could at least use the opportunity to study their opponents and their fighting styles. That they could have the upper-hand when they reached Dressrosa. She opened her eyes and brought her hand away from her temple. "I think–" The words died in her throat when she noticed a new scene had appeared.

A red sky above mixed with clouds of smoke. The sounds of guns going off and distant screams reached their ears. The giant gated building before them was up in bright orange and red flames.

They were back in Frevance.

A shiver ran down a few of the Straw Hats' spines at being amongst the chaos once more. "Wh-What are we doing back here? Wasn't Law just in his room?"

Movement in the corner of their eyes had everyone looking to the side. There sat Law, his blank eyes staring at the hospital that was up in flames. Silent tears ran down his dirtied cheeks, wiping away the grime as they fell. "Lamy," he murmurs, her name rolling off his lips in the quietest voice. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears staining his cheeks. His hands were still covered in his parents' blood, and the red liquid was smeared over his face. Whether he noticed this or cared, the Straw hats didn't know as he showed no signs of reacting to it.

He pushed himself onto his feet and, finally, turned away from the burning building; his eyes lingering on the fire only a moment more. But as he began to run, a voice echoed through the air. "Brother!" Law stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he turned towards the hospital once more. "Brother! H-Help me!"

The small boy took a small step back at realizing who it was that was calling out for him. "L-Lamy…?"

"Brother! It's so hot! Help me! Please, Law! I-I'm scared!" Law was trembling where he stood, more tears running down his cheeks as he listened to her call for him. "_Brother! Please!_"

Nami covered her mouth as tears began to build in her eyes. Lamy's voice was filled with fear, and the navigator could only imagine how terrified she must have been to awake to flames and smoke filling her room. She wanted her brother, the brother who said he'd protect. The brother that said he'd be by her side always.

Usopp couldn't bear it, he covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. He had already seen and heard many other children die earlier, he couldn't handle this. He loved children, to witness the death of so many was too much for his heart.

Sanji found it hard to block out Lamy's voice. He tried to remind himself that this was only a memory, that it was already past and there was nothing he could do to help save the little girl. He turned his back to the burning building and tried to focus his mind on something, _anything_ else.

Franky curled his fists, wanting nothing more than to rush into the building to help Lamy. But he couldn't. He grit his teeth and tried not to let the girl's voice get to him. He looked off to the side and released a thick breath. Franky had hated Honbee before when he was forced to watch his crew members fall apart at watching their worst memories, but the fact he was now watching this from _Law's_ past only worsened his anger toward his enemy.

Luffy grit his teeth. Lamy's calls were getting to him, they reminded him of when he was younger; how he'd call out to Ace or Sabo when he was scared and needed help. No matter what danger he was in, his brothers were always there to save him, no matter what. The fact that Law couldn't go save his sister as she called out for him… His hands curled into tight fists that shook. He didn't want to hear or see this.

Robin looked away from the scene, it reminded her of her past on Ohara. How she sat in the book Aokiji had given her as she watched her home island go up in flames. How she had wanted to go back and be with her mother who she had just been reunited with. She had been powerless to save her island and any of its inhabitants. Just as Law was powerless to save his sister from burning to death.

Chopper covered his ears with his hooves, desperate to block out the little girl's terrified voice. He sniffled, unable to hold back his tears. Burning to death was a horrible way to die, and he didn't want to even think about the fact that it was a _child_ who was dying in such a terrible way. But despite the fact he covered his ears, he could still hear her cries. He shook his head, refusing to hear anymore of Lamy's shouts for help.

Brook knew that if he still had a heart, it would have broke upon hearing little Lamy crying out to her brother to be saved. After experiencing something to traumatizing, he could not blame Law for being so cold and apathetic. He doubted anyone could live through such a thing and come out unaffected. He turned his head, unable to look at the burning building where the little girl was trapped.

Zoro's grip on his crossed arms were tight and his teeth clenched until he felt a dull ache in his jaw. The fact that a little girl would suffer so much because of the World Government was unbearable. Countless lives lost and one child traumatized for life, all for the sake of _money_. It was despicable. How could people actually put their faith in such people? The World Government did not uphold justice, it did what was best for _itself_. Fuck everyone and thing else. Zoro knew that no matter what, Lamy's cries were one of the few things he'd never be able to erase from his mind.

"L-Lamy…" Law clenched his eyes shut, holding his head in his hands. He wanted to help her, wanted to hold her close and keep her safe from the horrors of the world. But he couldn't. He couldn't save her. "I'm so sorry…!"

"Law! Law! Please, Law! _Brother!_" Her pain-filled screams suddenly echoed through the air, and Law couldn't take them. He collapsed to his knees, placing his hands over his ears and pressing his forehead into the ground as he desperately tried to block out her screams. "_Help me!_"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Law sobbed, repeating the apology over and over. "I'm sorry Lamy, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…!" As soon as her screams began to die down, he pushed himself to his feet once more and turned away, running away as fast as he little legs could carry him. Tears blurred his vision and he stumbled several times over rubble and bodies. "I'm sorry, Lamy, I'm sorry."

"I hate this," Nami whispered, holding back her own sob as she wiped away the tears that rolled down her eyes. "I hate this so much."

Law didn't know how long he ran, but he knew his legs ached and that the only sounds he could hear were fires crackling and soldiers communicating with each other. He had to get out of Frevance. He couldn't let anyone spot him or he'd be killed too. His eyes landed on a cart filled with dead bodies and only hoped that it would take him across the border. If it didn't, then he figured the soldiers would burn the carcasses. But it was the only shot he had of surviving, so he ran to the cart and dug his way under the bodies until he was hidden from view. The stench of blood and death hit his nose but he payed no mind to it.

He waited, for how long exactly he wasn't sure. But then the cart started to move, and the sound of muffled voices reached his ears. As long as he wasn't found, he'd live. He'd survive. He'd make it out of Frevance and live out his remaining years taking revenge on the world. He would–

"Law."

The small boy suddenly tensed. Slowly, he turned his head to the side. He was met with his father's face. The man's glasses were missing and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth and from his nostrils.

"Law, honey."

Law's head snapped to the other side to see his mother's face. Her gentle smile was no more, instead her lips were pulled into a deep frown. Small rivulets of blood escaped her mouth and ran down her chin. Her soft eyes were now wide with fear, and they were focused directly on Law.

"Why didn't you save us?" The two corpses asked.

"Wh-What's going on?" Usopp asked, looking at the child's dead parents.

"It's a nightmare," Robin stated. "He must have fallen asleep while studying in his room."

"Why didn't you die with us?" His parents asked again. Law openly gaped, unable to answer as he watched more blood pour from his mother's mouth. His breathing was coming out ragged, but he bit his lip to stop himself from making any noise. He couldn't let himself be discovered by the soldiers.

The bodies he was lying on suddenly began to move, and he looked down to see a small hand push its way through. A body pulled itself up until it was face to face with the small boy. Law's eyes widened.

"Brother, why didn't you save me?" Lamy's charred and still smoking corpse asked. Her hair had burned away, and her eye sockets were empty, black holes that stared directly into Law's golden eyes. Her burnt hand reached out and caressed Law's cheek. "I thought you said you'd always be there for me." She gave a smile, and the weak flesh at the corner of her mouth ripped, making one side of her smile inhumanly long. Fresh blood seeped from the rip and her hand suddenly combusted into flames. "I thought you said you love me, brother. If you did, then why'd you let me burn to death?"

Parts of her burnt flesh began to fall off her face.

And Law _screamed_.

He tried to back away from the image before him but the other corpses suddenly came to life, grabbing his arms and legs so he couldn't get away. He felt their dead fingers grip him so hard he swore their fingers buried into his skin. His parents and sister were before him, all looking directly at him. "Why didn't you save us, Law?"

"Don't you want to join us?" His mother asked.

"Dying isn't so bad, you know," his father continued.

"It's like going to sleep," his sister smiled.

Law screamed again, and he barely noticed that the cart had stopped moving. He thrashed against the corpses' death-grip on him, his eyes tearing up once more as he stared at the dead faces of his family. _'This isn't happening this isn't happening it's not real it's not–'_

The corpses lying on top of him were suddenly removed, and he came face to face with Government soldiers. He felt his heart plummet. "Hey, we have a live one here!" They reached for Law, pulled out the thrashing child with ease as they threw him onto the ground. "He's infected, too. What do we do?"

"Orders were that no one leaves alive," another soldier answered.

One of the men grinned. "Understood." Two sets of hands grabbed Law's arms and held him still as another soldier raised his gun to Law's chest, just above his heart. The child's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, no, no no no no–"

Behind the soldier, Law's family stood side-by-side with smiles. Blood oozed from their wounds and Lamy's body still smoked. The smell of burnt flesh hit Law's nose and he felt his stomach turn. "Any last words, boy?"

"Don't kill me, I have to live, I can't die here, I have to–"

"Don't worry, Law," Lamy smiled. "It won't hurt at all."

The soldier's finger began to move.

"Just close your eyes…"

Law's eyes widened and he gave one more violent thrash. "_Nooo!_"

Lamy's chirpy voice reached his ears for the last time, "And sleep!"

The soldier pulled the trigger, and Law felt the bullet tear through bone and muscle as it pierced his beating but broken heart.

* * *

Law jolted into sitting position, a cold sweat covering his body. His breath came out is rasps as his widened eyes ran across the room he was in. He was back in Doflamingo's base, far away from Frevance. He reached up to his chest and gripped at his heart so hard his nails dug into the skin and blood began to seep out of the fresh wounds. The pain in his heart hurt as he remembered the dream, and a part of Law almost _wished_ he'd been discovered by the soldiers.

Because if he had been, at least he would have been reunited with is family.

After all, life hurt.

Death…didn't.

* * *

_A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to update. To make it up, I made the chapter longer than usual. (5,100 words! That's pretty big for me. XD) I hope this was okay, and that the nightmare sorta fit. I'll have the Straw Hats opinions on the nightmare in the next chapter. I still hope their views/comments are okay! DX The reason for the nightmare here is because this is the first time Law fell asleep since he escaped Frevance. ^^_

_I'm not going to lie, I teared up a little writing the scene with Lamy in the burning building calling out for Law. A lot of times when I read/write, I imagine just what the character is feeling/experiencing. And imagining Lamy screaming out for her brother who could only stand there and listen was extremely sad._

_I don't have the time to edit right now, so if there's any mistakes my apologies. I'll try to fix them up later. ^^_

_Well, hope it was okay! Leave a review please and tell me what you thought of the chapter! If there's anything I need to add/improve on, don't be afraid to let me know. :D_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	7. Sifting Through Nightmares

Memory Trap  
Chapter Seven: Sifting Through Nightmares

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for such a late update. Computer was out of order for three weeks and then I ran out of wifi, and then I discovered the chapter I had written up was deleted so I had to rewrite it, except I forgot what I wrote… (It's times like this that really curse my horrible memory…) And do you guys have any suggestion as what to write during the two years Law was with Doffy's family? I can only think of his training and that's it. ^^;_

_Also, __**spoilers**__ if you haven't watched One Piece movie 6!_

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

It was not the first time the Straw Hats had witnessed a nightmare; they had come across their fair share of them when forced to view each other's memories.

A lot Nami's revolved around her mother's death, as well as the idea of her coming home only to find everyone in her village dead with Arlong laughing in the middle of the massacre. She would have detailed dreams of watching the bullet tear through Bell-mère's chest, or seeing Genzo lying on the ground with blood seeping from his many new lacerations. Usopp's was similar to Nami's with him discovering his villagers all dead, along with Kaya and the Usopp Pirates' corpses lying at the feet of a darkly grinning Kuro. He would dream of how Luffy never showed up and he was forced to hear everyone's screams while he tried to off the pirates in vain.

For Sanji, he would occasionally find himself stuck on that rock with Zeff in the middle of the ocean with nothing to eat. He would feel the horrible pains of hunger as he became nothing but bones. His other nightmares consisted of the time he spent in the Kamabakka Kingdom. (Which, to be honest, many of the other crew members found rather funny to watch, much to Sanji's horror and embarrassment.) Chopper's had mostly focused on Doctor Hiriluk's death and his time spent before he found the doctor when he traveled through the snowy kingdom alone, hunted by the villagers he would later treat. The feeling of being called a monster back then tore at his heart, and the loneliness he felt was nearly suffocating in the cold temperatures.

Robin's were focused on the death of Ohara, how she was finally reunited with her mother only to have her be ripped away again; how she watched Saul die before her eyes and watched her island go up in flames. She'd dream of all those years she spent alone as a little girl, running from island to island in a desperate attempt to live. And if it wasn't about that, then it was about her crossing the Bridge of Hesitation and nearing the Gates of Justice; being sent away to Impel Down where she would be tortured for information regarding the poneglyphs. She even dreamt how she would be the cause of death to all her friends, that the World Government finally managed to kill Luffy and the others and she was left to live with the guilt festering inside her.

Franky's, the few he had, were mostly about nearly losing Iceburg to CP9, and about the guilt he felt when they took Tom away to Impel Down. How the world lost a brilliant shipwright and inventor all because he was obsessed with building ships and refused to take them apart afterwards. And Brook's would focus on wandering through the mist alone for years on end, and remembering how he watched his crew mates die as they played Bink's Sake together for the last time. How he wasn't strong enough to get his shadow back and leave Thriller Bark to go find Laboon.

One of rare nightmares Zoro had had been about Kuina, and how disappointed she had been about him losing to Mihawk. Though Chopper explained the dream could easily have been blamed on the pain Zoro had been in after that fight with Mihawk. His other one had been about if he hadn't been awake during the Thriller Bark incident, that Kuma would have taken Luffy and they all would have simply slept through it. And Luffy… The crew had been surprised to see just what Luffy's nightmares had been about, and just how frequent he had them.

The first time they came across one of his nightmares had been after Shanks saved Luffy. He'd dream about drowning in the sea, the sea king coming closer and looming over him with its large teeth. It was understandable, seeing as he was only seven years old when such a terrifying thing happened. The second time was when Ace and Dadan were missing during the fire in Goa; how he was alone, that Sabo was with his parents now and Ace was lying dead among the burning garbage. The third had been when Sabo died. He'd dream of the last time he saw Sabo, how the blond child gave himself up to save his brothers' lives with tears falling down his cheeks. Sabo hadn't been happy when he died, and that was what killed Luffy and Ace the most; knowing that they could have gone to save him from being forced to live in a place he didn't belong.

The fourth time they came across the nightmares was after they escaped Omatsuri Island. Those nightmares lasted longer than the previous ones, and he'd dream almost every night for two months about how he almost wasn't strong enough to save his friends. That, for a fleeting moment, he had been _alone_, and that he had given up the fight to live. He'd dream of Sanji telling him it was his fault he lost all his nakama, and how he watched up close as Zoro disappeared into that…_thing _called Lily. It had been the first, and last, time Luffy had ever killed someone.

The fifth was after the fight with Lucci, after they got Robin back. He'd dream about how he wasn't strong enough to win against Lucci, and he would be forced to watch the leopard man kill his friends mercilessly. He would dream that he wasn't able to save Robin and she was taken away from them forever. The sixth time was after the Sabaody incident, how he really _wasn't _strong enough to keep all his nakama safe and he was forced to watch them disappear right before his very eyes.

It was after Marineford when the nightmares got really bad.

The repeated dreams of watching his brother die protecting him, seeing the fist of lava tear through his brother's body so easily and smelling the scent of burning flesh everywhere.

Of seeing his brother's blood soaking his hand.

Those were the nightmares the crew had the hardest time to watch, because never did the dream of Marineford lack any details. Every time the dreams came up, they could smell the burning flesh, feel the heat radiating off Akainu's fist, could hear Ace's wheezing breaths as he tried to continue to talk loud enough for his brother to hear him above the sound of war. Luffy, on the rare occasion, would also dream of Ace blaming him for his death; saying that because Luffy was weak, he had to die to protect his younger brother. He'd dream that he lost his nakama along with his brother, and that he was truly left alone in the world.

So yes, the Straw Hats had had their fair share of nightmares in their last Memory Trap.

But none had been so disturbing as Law's had been.

Seeing the charred body of a little girl was something none of the Straw Hats wanted to remember, and they could only imagine what sort of guilt Law felt for not being able to save his sister when she needed him. Robin knew what it was like to be the only survivor of massacre, and the thoughts that would, at many times, nag at the mind.

_Why am I still alive?_

_Why didn't I die with the others?_

_Why was I the only one?_

_Why?_

She had no doubt those questions plagued Law's mind when he wasn't focused on something. "Nightmares like that are to be expected," she said, her voice quiet. A near haunting look flashed through her eyes and the crew knew why. They had no doubt it reminded of her the Buster Call on Ohara, and how she watched Saul die before her eyes. Nami laid a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder and offered her a soft smile.

"You alright?"

"Yes," Robin answered before turning to her captain. "Luffy, are you okay?"

He flashed her a smile, but everyone could see that it had been forced since it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," he replied before focusing on the darkness around them. Law's nightmare reminded him of Marineford, of the smell of burning flesh when Ace's chest was pierced. Both of them had lost a sibling to due to a fire-related incident. Both had mental breakdowns after their loss, and both had reoccurring nightmares after the incident. Too many similarities between them, and yet he still couldn't get that one question out his mind.

_How?_

_How had Law moved on?_

* * *

Law stayed up the entire night with his nose buried in the medical book Doflamingo had gotten him, making sure to keep his mind busy so it wouldn't wander back to the nightmare he'd had. As long as he focused on the textbook he would be fine. The first rays of sunshine began to shine upon the pirate base and a few of the family members began waking up. An hour rolled by and the call of breakfast had everyone flocking to the dining room save for Law.

A knock at his door was the only thing that managed to break Law out of his concentration, and he tore his eyes away from the textbook to see who was visiting him. The door cracked open a little bit to reveal the face of Doflamingo. "Breakfast is ready," he said.

Law turned back to book before him. "I'm not hungry," he responded, picking up his pencil to write down several notes. The sound of footsteps approaching alerted him that Doflamingo was now standing directly behind him. The young master leaned down, taking a quick look at the notes Law written. The Straw Hat crew, too, leaned over to check them out. The boy's handwriting was neat and clear. He was a great note taker, all his notes were to the point and informative.

"You did manage any sleep last night?"

"A little, yes," Law answered, keeping his answers brief. He wasn't much of a talker to start with, and he certainly wasn't one now.

"Nightmares, I presume?" The child's hand barely twitched, causing his y to look more like a x, but the crew and Doflamingo caught it. It was all the blond needed to see to know the answer. He didn't say anything but instead placed his large hand on the child's small shoulder for a moment before leaving the room. Law furrowed his brows at Doflamingo's action, not exactly sure what it meant. The crew knew, though. It was not only a sign of comfort, but a sign of empathy.

For whatever reason, apparently Doflamingo suffered from nightmares as well.

"I wonder what things he could possibly dream about that keeps him up sometimes," Usopp mused aloud. From what he heard from Law, Doflamingo wasn't exactly someone you went up against unless you had a death wish. Men like that usually had nothing to fear. Fear nothing, feared by all.

"I doubt he gets many nightmares," Chopper added. "He doesn't really seem like someone who does."

"Looks can be deceiving," Zoro said, his eyes flickering over to Luffy's direction. They thought, out of the entire crew, Luffy would have the least amount of nightmares before Marineford. They had been wrong. How their captain managed to keep such dreams from them was surprising and concerning. "Besides," he continued, "he wears glasses. We can't tell if he's like Law, who has dark skin beneath his eyes from insomnia."

"Do you think it has anything to do with those scars we saw on Corazon?" Franky asked. "I mean, like Chopper said, he must have gotten them when he was just a kid. And since they're brothers–"

"They always stuck together," Sanji finished.

"Meaning whatever Corazon went through, Doflamingo went through as well."

"Maybe that's the real reason he took Law in," Nami spoke up, turning to the other crew members. "If Doflamingo and his brother went through such a hard time as children and became so strong in a little more than ten years, then maybe he believes Law will grow up the same way as long as they find the Ope Ope no Mi."

"That would make sense."

The sound of the door to the room closing caught everyone's attention. When Law turned around, he was surprised to see a plate of food sitting on the table.

And a dark purple feather resting next to it.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry it's so short and sorry if it was boring. I'm seriously disappointed in myself that this took nearly three months to update. I'm sorry guys, I really am, but I had such a struggle rewriting this to where I found acceptable. I'll try my best not to let it take so long again to update. But yeah, do you guys know what else I could write about for the two years Law is with the Donquixote family besides his training?_

_But beside that, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! Seriously, I can't believe you guys! :'D Arigatou gozaimasu! I'm not c-crying! Not at a-all!_

_(Also, the song My Demons, the version I listen to can be found on the youtube AMV called One Piece AMV - My Demons. It's done by Erolox. Check it out! :D)_

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE NOT A CHAPTER

Hi guys.

I know a lot of you guys (probably like 87%) are ready to kill me for taking so damn long to write this. I'm sorry, I'm almost 3/4's done with the chapter. However, I'll be turning 21 next month and I really have to start getting my life together. So that means I won't be writing as much, and it'll take longer to update things, which is why this chapter hasn't been released yet. I hardly get on the computer now.

However, _**I will never give this fic up**_.

It may take a while to update, but I'll always be working on bits and pieces of the chapters. So I please ask you be patient a little while longer and I'll try to have the chapter out as quickly as my life will allow. I hope you understand.

Thank you, and have a good morning/noon/night.

roo


	9. Training Begins

Memory Trap  
Chapter Eight: Training Begins

* * *

_A/N: adkjba;wkbarg Thank you guys so much for not only your reviews, but your suggestions as well! They helped __**a lot**__! I probably won't be able to use all of them, but I'll be able to use most of them! Plus, I FINALLY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO SHOW LAW DOESN'T LIKE BREAD WITHOUT IT BEING CRACK. Hopefully it'll fit and be somewhat realistic. C:_

_ALSO: SORRY THIS ONE IS EXTREMELY SHORT. I HAVE A **IMPORTANT QUESTION** FOR YOU GUYS IN THE A/N AT THE BOTTOM. PLEASE ANSWER IT. IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE CHAPTERS._

* * *

_Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking  
__They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling_

* * *

The days at the Donquixote Hideout could be hectic at times; Baby5 and Buffalo didn't exactly know how to keep quiet, and their mischievous pranks would often get them in trouble. Training was hard, and the occasional missions weren't the easiest. It was the nights, though, that were silent. And Law loved the silence. It was the perfect time for him to study, to have time to think to himself about various things.

Tonight, however, he was not studying. He was writing up a list of tips that would later help him during his training sessions. For example, under gunnery, he wrote down that it helps to exhale before you take a shot, and under martial arts, he wrote that your stance is very important. For swordsmanship, footwork was vital, and when striking a deal with someone, you always had to be one step ahead of them incase they try to betray you. The lists went on, and he did his best to memorize the most important tips first.

Once he'd written down most of what he could remember, he set his pencil down and got to his feet; stretching his arms and legs as he walked to the other side of the room where a plate of food had been left for him. Jura had scolded him once already for hardly eating, saying he'd need to eat more if he were to keep his strength up. It wasn't his fault his body didn't need much sustenance to keep going, his appetite just wasn't as big as the average person's.

Looking down at the plate, he picked up his fork and ate the large portion of vegetables, took two bites out of the piece of grilled chicken, and finished the small bread roll. It wasn't much, but for him it was enough for now. He began to make his way over to his desk, a quiet sigh escaping him.

_"Aren't you going to finish your dinner, Law?"_

The child's eyes widened and he spun on his heels, searching the room for the owner of the voice. It wasn't until he saw the room was empty that he finally recognized who the voice belonged to. His mother. He brought his hand to his face, closing his eyes as he forced to erase the voice from his thoughts. He didn't need this, not now; he had no time to be thinking of ghosts and happy days gone by. He was tired, exhausted, really, but he didn't dare go to sleep; not until he passed out from sheer exhaustion and fell into a dreamless slumber.

He was already living a nightmare.

The last thing he wanted was for more nightmares to attack him in his sleep.

* * *

Law was starting to understand why Diamante had said most of the kids that came to join the Donquixote family usually ran away after only two days. The training was hard and relentless, no one went easy on him despite the fact he was a child, unexperienced, and diseased. Honestly, he preferred it that way, though he did agree that they could ease up just a _little_.

Or maybe, you know, actually _teach him_ rather than going all out and expecting him to learn from his mistakes. Lao-G didn't hold back and barely taught Law the basics before he commenced his 'training.' Usually after those sessions he needed to be bandaged up by Jora, which wasn't the most pleasant experience, seeing as she tied the end of his bandages as bows., and that the bandages were pink.

Training with Diamante wasn't as bad as it was with Lao-G, but it was close. It was a 'fend for yourself' sort of training. Law had never seen a devil fruit in use before, so seeing the man's sword suddenly become as flexible as a flag took him by surprise. It certainly piqued his curiosity, though. If a devil fruit could make something as solid as a word move like that, then maybe, _maybe_ there was a possibility a devil fruit somewhere in the world that could cure his disease.

But he quickly shook such thoughts from his mind. No, this was _Amber Lead Disease_, there was _no cure_ at all. There was no point in getting his hopes up over some fantasy—he was going to die in three years and that was that, end of story. And in those three years, he was going to kill as many people as possible, destroy as many things as he could. He would take his revenge on the world.

Even if it was the last thing he did.

He was pulled from his thoughts, however, when Gladius not so gently nudged his shoulder and motioned for him to pay attention. Law's eyes hardened as he threw his complete focus on what the man was showing him; how to handle and aim a gun, how to load it and keep it clean. He found it all very simple, except for the aiming part. The gun was so big in his hand, it felt…unnatural, almost. His arms shook as he tried hard to aim perfectly at the targets before him, blocking out the rain pouring and the fact his hat was getting soaked. But before he could even feel comfortable with his aim, a kick to his back from Gladius had him pulling the trigger as he arched forward; the bullet hitting the target almost dead center. Pure coincidence, Law thought, it was only beginners luck.

Things were a little different when a battle broke out when they were on Doflamingo's ship. Law and Baby5 weren't allowed near the canons yet, they were simply to watch from the sidelines next to Doflamingo and take note of how canons were aimed. Though, Law found it quite hypocritical that he wasn't allowed near the canons when there was a _baby_ sitting on one of them as it was fired. He couldn't quite understand why Doflamingo didn't worry about the baby, he cherished his family, did he not? Still, Law did not dwell such thoughts. He had to concentrate, soak in every bit knowledge while he still could.

His time was running out, after all.

* * *

Some of Luffy's crew couldn't help but grimace at how ruthless training could be. Luffy, however, let out a slightly nervous chuckle upon seeing the state of Law after the boy went through a session with Lao-G. It reminded him of training with Gramps, the man never held back, really, and him, Ace and Sabo would be sore for days. But despite how painful such training could be, it toughened you up. You learned more quickly in such environments, and it kept you on your toes.

It was no wonder Law was a tough fighter.

Zoro focused on the bits of training that focused on Diamante. There had been only one other time that Zoro had seen a sword become flexible, and it was in Skypia. Ohm's blade, the Eisen Whip, had been made out of Iron Cloud and had the ability to change its shape. It was versatile and deadly. Zoro couldn't help the smirk that began to slip onto his features at the idea of fighting against such a weapon. It would be a challenge, hopefully.

While the green-haired swordsman focused on one executive, Usopp focused on the one named Gladius. He wondered if the man was a good shot. It'd be nice if he was, Usopp hadn't come across a great many snipers or gunners since he joined Luffy. But then another thought hit him: does Gladius have a Devil Fruit? If he did, what was it? Was it dangerous? He suddenly felt a little uneasy about taking on the gunner, and hoped, maybe, the man was just a terrible shot like everyone else they'd come across.

Franky looked around the crew, taking in their expressions. He could see several were in deep thought and that Zoro was giving another creepy face again. Usopp looked unsure of something while Luffy looked a little…nervous? The cyborg tried to focus back on the training scenes with Law, but something kept nagging him at the back of his mind, and he couldn't keep it quiet any longer. "Why the hell did they let a _baby_ sit on a canon?!" Nearly all the crew members turned to face Franky with mildly surprised faces. "I mean, come on! Aren't any of you guys wondering about that, too?"

"I was wondering about it," Sanji answered. "But I figured they weren't too worried about it. The kid seemed to like being up there and Doflamingo was pretty sure he'd win against the marines with no problems."

"But Franky's right," Chopper spoke up, looking slightly worried. "I mean, what if the baby fell into the water? Or fell off the canon and bumped his head? They were being awfully careless with the baby…"

"Maybe they had no reason to worry." All heads turned toward the observational archeologist. "When we first saw the baby, it was wearing a hat that had the picture of a fish on the front of it, and there were horns poking out through it. And on the canon as well, those same horns appeared again." Robin turned to look at her fellow crew mates. "Perhaps they aren't as worried as they should be because the baby is actually a fishman."

"That would…sorta make sense," Nami said. "Fishmen are stronger than humans and I bet even a baby fishman can withstand more damage than a human's could. But still, it's an infant! They should have been more careful anyway with it!" It was Nami's natural love for children that had her anger suddenly flaring as she truly began to think of the many dangers of sitting on a cannon. "And what if the canon malfunctioned? Or the–"

"N-Nami, hey, easy there," Franky said, motioning for her to calm down. He hadn't meant to make the navigator so upset. He silently cursed at himself for forgetting how protective she could be of children. "If Doflamingo truly thought the baby was at risk, I doubt he'd let it sit up there." In response, the orange-haired navigator gave a huff, crossing her arms as she muttered something under her breath with a glare. The cyborg gave a sigh of relief as he watched his friend finally begin to calm down.

"It's quite–" The rest of Brook's sentence was drowned out by the sound of a canon shot, and all eyes fell on the form of Corazon as the man managed to trip while simply _standing_. His legs flew into the air as he once again crashed onto his back. From the side, Law looked at the man with what actually looked like a mix of confusion and surprise. Brook couldn't blame him, he'd be surprised too at the idea of someone tripping while doing nothing. Baby5 looked on with enjoyment, while Doflamingo looked less than happy at his brother's antics.

Across the way, one of the Marine ship's suffered a direct blow.

The sight nearly brought a twisted smile to Law's face.

* * *

_A/N: __GUYS. IMPORTANT NOTICE. READ THIS.__ This is one story I will __never__ abandon. It may take 2-3 months, or longer, unfortunately, to get a chapter out but I refuse to give this one up. On another note, I love how I made it where some of the crew already has their enemy picked out in their mind here, and yet when they reach Dressrosa, it all just goes haywire. XD I tried to be careful here though, to not let the crew see too much otherwise it might interfere with canon when they reach Dressrosa. While this is slight AU, I still don't want to kill the original canon story too much._

_ALSO I apologize for making you guys wait so long for this short chapter. (sorry it's so damn short!) Life…has been…complicated (SHIT, IT'S BEEN __**SHIT**__ HAHAHA-), in short. And I had to rewrite this twice. But! I'll try to not let that get in the way next time! Thank you for all your reviews, and thank you for the birthday wishes as well! :'D_

_**IMPORTANT:**__ I may not be able to give out long chapters, as some of you know my usual chapter counts are around 2,000 words or so. It takes me a while to write longer chapters, so I have a question: Would you rather me put up small chapters, or would you rather wait for the longer chapters?_

_FANKY. I ACCIDENTALLY CALLED FRANKY 'FANKY' IN THE LAST CHAPTER AND I AM DYING. I CAN'T BREATHE. NO, THAT NAME IS GOING INTO FELINE PROWESS UNDER TEXT NAMES. TRASH-FALGAR LAW, EUST-PAIN-IN-THE-ASS KIDD, DON-SHIT-XOTE DOFLAMENCO, AND FANKY._

_Your shy ice elemental,  
__~»roo the psycho«_


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